Teaching at the Middelbare Kunstnijverheidsschool continued as much as possible throughout the war years. Director Jef Scheffers deployed various administrative ruses to try and keep his teachers and students out of the occupying forces’ hands,
such as moving a student to Amsterdam, or declaring a teacher's presence to be essential - while making it quite clear that said individual would never utter a word of criticism against the occupier. This was why student Frans Slijpen was sent to the Rijksacademie early. Scheffers adopted the same attitude towards students whose parents were known collaborators, such as Frans Vos, a contemporary and friend of Rob Stultiens.
Director Scheffers did what was necessary to shelter both students and teachers from the occupying Germans.
Still life painted by Jef Scheffers, 1941. In 1945, this was included in a major, national liberation exhibition at the Rijksmuseum. Scheffers familiarized his students, among them Ger Lataster and Jef Diederen and Pieter Defesche, with the paintings of Cézanne, De Vlaminck, Rik Wouters and their contemporaries.