Si Shannon, na nasa Grade 6, at si Molly, na edad 9, ang dalawang tanging estudyante ng Duror Primary School sa West Highlands, Scotland.
Ang eskuwelahan ay itinayo noong 1877 kaya ito ay 148 years old na.
Para sa teacher na si Holly Graves, dahil dito ay unique ang kanilang paaralan.
“We are at the West Coast of Scotland, in the Highlands, and we’re a uniquely small school with just two pupils,” ani Teacher Holly.
Sa setup nila, mas may pagkakataon daw ang mga guro at estudyante na mas maging close.
“We mostly do everything all together, kind of every day. We play in school and after school, we’re best friends,” pahayag ni Shannon sa BBC interview.
Pagbibida ni Teacher Holly, “It is wonderful. Not many people get this opportunity as a teacher. And I don’t think everybody would like it, but I absolutely love it.
“I love the flexibility and the freedom for going out and exploring.”
Sa sitwasyon nga nila, hindi raw nila kailangang magkulong sa apat na sulok ng classroom.
“If the weather’s good, yeah, we can go and do our work down at the beach. We don’t have to stay in the classroom.”
Sabi naman nina Shannon at Molly, pinapayagan pa raw silang magtampisaw sa tubig kapag natapos ang kanilang aralin—mga aktibidad na hindi madalas mangyari sa mga ordinaryong estudyante.
Mas may laya rin daw ang dalawang estudyante pagdating sa lessons.
Sabi ni Shannon, “We get to do math, spelling, stories. We make up our own stories.”
Kahit hindi nga raw oras ng klase, nagba-bonding ang mga guro kasama ang dalawa nilang estudyante.
‘It’s a really special teacher-pupil relationship,” sabi ni Teacher Holly.
“You get to know them really well. You don’t just have them for one year.”
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whole community involved in school
Bagaman at dalawang estudyante lamang ang tinuturuan, nilinaw ni Teacher Holly na involved ang buong komunidad sa maliit nilang school.
Sabi niya, “On paper, it’s two children. In reality, it’s the whole community.
“We have so many more children in the school throughout the week with a toddler group and with our nurture group.”
Pagpapatuloy niya, “I think the fact that we have managed to keep it open, and keep it going, shows what you can do with a small school, and why they’re important… not just as a school but within the wider community.”
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SCHOOL IS SAVED BY RESIDENTS
Ang paaralan ay nauna nang binansagang “no longer viable” ng local government ng Highlands dahil sa patuloy na pag-decline ng bilang ng estudyante, ulat ng The Scotsman.
Una nang inirekomenda ang pagsara ng paaralan.
Subalit nagkaisa ang mga residenteng isalba ito, at tumugon dito ang local government unit.
Ang Duror at ang katabi nitong village na Kentallen ay may kabuuang 300 population.
Ang local government ay makakatipid ng 100,000 pounds (PHP7.7 million) kada taon kung pipiliin na lamang isara ang school.
Pero nakontra ang planong pagpapasara dahil sa malaking suporta sa eskuwelahan mula sa mga tao.
Marami sa mga residente roon ang nagsasabing malaki ang potensiyal ng Duror Preliminary School at sinabi rin nilang ito'y “vital to the future” ng kanilang village.
May ilang academic organizations na ring nagpakita ng interes para gawing hub ang Duror Preliminary school para sa Science and Technology, Economics, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Kaya naman umaasa ang local officials na mas marami pang estudyante ang tatangkilik dito.