The primary school at Westerminnerweg. Photograph taken in 1951
As a parish, Jork has had a church-run school since 1700, which was originally situated in the Schützenhofstraße. However, in 1848 the school burned down. In 1909 classes were amalgamated in the school building next to the Borstel church. A new elementary school (Volksschule) and later the primary school (Grundschule) was only built at the present location in 1951.
Above the main entrance, written in gold lettering, is the inscription: Learning is for life, not for school (“Nicht für die Schule, sondern für das Leben lernen wir.” Originally there was a vocational training college in the left-hand (west) wing of the building, which was later disbanded, providing much greater space for the elementary school. The tract between the two schools originally housed teachers, and there was a cycle stand.
In the 1970s the elementary school system was abolished and classes divided into primary and secondary schools (Grund- und Hauptschule). Primary school capacities became increasingly inadequate, however, so an additional “outpost” for the first classes was set up in Ladekop’s former primary school. The Jork council now has plans to build an entirely new school at a different location in the town.
