School during the war

From 1914, school was compulsory until the age of 14. The lessons carried on the best they could. Although the occupier did not interfere with the curriculum, schools faced major logistical problems, since many teachers had fled, were conscripted or were forced to work for the Germans.

The infrastructure, however, proved the biggest problem. At the beginning of the war, refugees were kept in classrooms. Later on, the occupier claimed them for the billeting of soldiers or as hospitals. The basement of St Lodewijks College was where the German navy kept its wine and the Chapel of Hemelsdaele Schools served as a military bakery. Locals ended up providing alternative classrooms, ranging from a herring smokehouse, a brewery, and even their own homes.

Young people who had finished their A-levels could not attend university because of the war. For that reason, St Lodewijks College and the Atheneum organised an extra year to allow them the chance to continue studying.

Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden