16.Studentenopstand

1795
Student revolt
It was freezing cold, that 19th February. It was freezing as hell, even during the day. The stove in the Latin school didn't stand a chance. Eight students from the middle class, the 2nd year, asked Professor Snoeckx if it wouldn't be better to leave syntax the syntax for once and go to warmer places. Snoeckx was not the evil one and besides, he was very cold himself. He let his eyes wander over the group of students.
'Cornelius van der Sanden. Go and ask the reverend parish priest if he wants to give a leave of absence and if so, go to rector Smits' house as well, so that he knows there will be no lesson.'
Cornelius acquitted himself excellently and managed to get permission from the parish priest to stay away from school. Only Rector Smits was not at home.
The next morning, it was no longer so freezing cold, the students returned to school. At the door, Rector Smits stood.
I'm not doing school before you each pay a shell fine. Just leave school like that, without my permission!' 
Cornelius bravely stepped forward. 'Lord rector, the parish priest gave us permission because of the cold. I still went to your door to tell you, but you were not at home.'
But Smits stood firm. One shilling fine! The students looked at each other. A shilling, that's six pennies, a lot of money for a poor student. A nod from Cornelius was enough: the middle class turned and walked away. Rector Smits stayed behind, stunned. This had never been seen before!
The students walked from the school to the rectory. The rectory told them to stay out of school just once more that day. He would talk to the rector.
However, for some reason, the pastor did not conclave with the rector but with Professor Snoeckx. He asked him to ask the students to pay the fine anyway, which saved a lot of hassle.
Poor Snoeckx was thus quite conscience-stricken. He offered the students to pay the fine from his own purse, but they refused. Surely the priest had given permission for them to stay away from school? No, they would rather leave school for good, especially since they had to learn things like making almanacs and conjugating Nederduijtsche verbs like 'have', 'would' and 'let'. 'Low German! While our parents still pay to have us taught in Latin.' And then another thing: between All Saints last and Shrove Tuesday last, the students of the first and second classes have always had the same lessons!'
The issue came to the notice of the bailiff and aldermen and they interfered. If such a sizable group of students left, it could lead to great damage to the municipality. The name and fame of the Latin school and thus of Gemert was at stake! So the aldermen asked Professor Snoeckx to allow the dissident students back into the school and to see who could be rector ad interim for so long. Rector Smits was asked to come and give his views on the matter. Well, Smits was willing to do that!
'I think Snoeckx acted very wrong by letting the students into the school anyway and bringing in an ad interim as well. The departure of those students, in my opinion, was done for sham reasons. And it may be that I was not at home at the time a student came to announce something, but then they should have come back later.'
The rector also addressed the criticism regarding the teaching material. Those who are sent to Latin school nowadays must be taught in their mother tongue. For they do not master that language nearly enough. I have been to the Latin schools of the city of Gelder and also of Venraij, and they do it that way. After all, otherwise learning Latin goes completely lame! And making almanacs? That is meant to explain the timekeeping in Cicero's almost innumerable letters.'
Fears of students leaving for a Latin school elsewhere struck Smits as unjustified. At other schools too, students would be treated as they were here in Gemert.
'A just punishment imposed will also be implemented at any other school.'
One more thing Smits had to get off his chest.
'I heard one of those recalcitrant students say: 'I wish we had only paid on the first day!'