Attention stone - Christian ULO

To encourage visits to the 24 attention stones, we have developed a cycling and walking route that leads past all of them. The route, called "On Path in the Historic Langstraat," is designed for both cyclists and walkers. A QR code on the stones takes you to this website, where more extensive information about the heritage can be found.

Christian ULO (1958-1992)

Before 1958, pupils from Sprang-Capelle went for Secondary Education to schools in Waalwijk or Raamsdonksveer. These schools were public or Roman Catholic. Because of the growth of the population, some inhabitants thought that a ULO (Extended Primary Education) should come to Sprang-Capelle. On October 4, 1957, Messrs. J.N. Bossers, J.H. Smith and Rijkers met to discuss this. After studying the pupil numbers in Waalwijk and Raamsdonksveer, they decided to contact the municipality and the inspectorate. Intensive consultations with the School Council followed on matters such as incorporation, recognition of the association, bylaws and the building application. An application for recognition of the new association was submitted to the Ministry of Education and Science.

Temporary housing
Initially it was decided to temporarily convert Mr. Quirijns' workshop for coachbuilding into a school building. This location (Raadhuisstraat 64) was located on the current Raadhuisplein, opposite the former town hall. In September 1958, the first two classes started here. A testimony from a former student: "The classrooms looked very exciting. Above all, there was always the question: What kind of weather will it be? If it snowed outside, it snowed just as hard inside! When the weather was cold, the motto was: keep your winter coat on. A frequently asked question was: Sir, could the stove be stoked a little higher?'

New building
In 1958 a building application was submitted to the Ministry of Education and Science, requesting four classrooms, a subject classroom and a gymnasium, based on the forecast of four to five teachers and about 150 students. The ministry only gave permission for three classrooms and a special classroom, which was a major setback. The architect, Mr. Anssems from Culemborg, was commissioned to make new designs. The housing solution was not intended for the long term; the goal remained to realize a new school building. Several locations were considered for this. The choice finally fell on a site on the Irenestraat, adjacent to the Zuidhollandsedijk. This site was centrally located in the village and owned by the municipality. Moreover, many new buildings were planned in this area.
Construction of the Protestant Christian ULO, called Ichthus School, began in 1958 and lasted until mid-1959. It was built by Hoefnagel (Sprang-Capelle) and inaugurated on September 1, 1959, with students coming from Sprang-Capelle, Waalwijk, Drunen, Kaatsheuvel and a few other places. In 1978, when the expansion of the school opened, the name was changed to "Ichthus S.G. for MAVO and L.H.N.O.". The initial letters of "Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior of mankind" form the Ancient Greek word "Ichthus," meaning fish. The logo was an Ichthus sign, identifying mark for Christians. A merger with the Willem van Oranje College followed in 1992. The building was closed, sold and demolished in 1997. Housing was built there.

Source: School book (2018) of Heemkundevereniging Sprang-Capelle.