SCHOOL IN RUSSIA AND CANADA

The Bergthaler Mennonites from Russia who came to Canada from 1874 - 1876 (Chortitzer and Sommerfelder from Manitoba and Bergthaler from Saskatchewan) strictly adhered to their old school system. However, they did not have teachers prepared for the state program, so the government started building new schools and filling them with trained state teachers.

 

This renewal in the school system, which most of these Mennonites refused to accept, also affected our ancestors. For them, however, this did not mean an improvement, but rather a secularization of the schools. In their opinion, they would lose their youth and the communities would have to become secular as a result. Because what the school is, the church of tomorrow will be. That was an important principle with our ancestors. Faith should be cultivated and passed on through schools, and if it were given to the government, the faith would also flatten out in the communities. They had repeatedly called on government agencies to obtain the privilege that supposedly gave them the right to run their own schools, but it was unsuccessful. Later they wanted to accommodate the government in their school program, but it was too late.

 

THE BASIS OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL IN MENNO

The school work was based on a GENERAL SCHOOL REGULATION. This laid down the school system desired and required by the church community. When the village citizens came together (Schultenbott) to appoint a teacher for the new school year, these school ordinances were read. It was customary to frame these GENERAL SCHOOL REGULATIONS and the SCHOOL RULES and display them in the school.

 

TEACHING COURSES IN THE BOY SCHOOL AT EBENFELD

The first "real teacher courses" were given by Martin W. Friesen for a few days or weeks each year before school started; for a number of village school teachers who were anxious to learn more, to expand and improve their school program, wanted it, as did the preachers (the teaching service) under whose supervision the schools were at that time.

Before the boys' school in Ebenfeld was founded, there was a teacher’s course as early as 1950, led by Martin W. Friesen .

 

THE FIRST TEACHERS IN LOMA PLATA

In addition to Martin W. Friesen, Andreas F. Sawatzky was also employed as a teacher in the club school from 1957. Friesen was self-taught, someone who had acquired his knowledge without the help of a teacher or a school. Mr. Sawatzky had started taking summer courses in Asunción. He graduated in 1959 with "good" and received the diploma for the "Maestro Normal Asimilado Cuarta Categoría".

 

THE BRANCHES OF THE COLEGIO LOMA PLATA

The branches have been the following schools over the years: Paratodo, Lolita, Neuhof, Schöntal, Schönwiese, Eigenheim and Lichtenau. Of which Schöntal, Schönwiese, Eigenheim and Lichtenau only worked for a short time. Of the latter, Lichtenau held out the longest: from 1996 - 2001 (6 years).

Since centralized schools already existed and these were not fully used by primary school students in some districts, the citizens asked the school administration to set up the first basic classes here as well. That would save them a little on the further education of their children. Wherever possible, the school administration treated these requests benevolently.

Over time, the most suitably located branches in Paratodo since 1976, Lolita (1980) and Neuhof (1982) have been expanded and well developed. As fixed institutions, they lead to the conclusion of the Bachillerato.