A SCENE FROM GORNJE LIPLJE – A PORTRAIT OF OUR VILLAGE

In Gornje Liplje, a small rural community about 30 kilometres from Teslić, only one pupil attends the local primary school. Founded a century ago, the school once had more than 50 children. Today, due to a lack of students, one classroom has been turned into a small museum, and there are fears that the school could close its doors in just three years.

PHOTO: RTRS

Like her peers elsewhere, seven-year-old Valentina Pejaković works hard and successfully completes all her school tasks. She has learned to read and write, enjoys math, but has no classmates. She sits alone in her classroom, with no one to play with or share a snack. Her teacher, Vesna, is also her best friend.

“My favourite subject is math and I love counting. I wish there were more children here, but there aren’t,” says Valentina, the only second-grader, in a statement for RTRS.

The village is nearly deserted, and there are no children living near the school. On the playground, Valentina plays alone or with her teacher.

“We can’t play team games like dodgeball. I tried to see if any children could come and join her, but there simply aren’t any. I work with her on everything, I help her, sit beside her, and I’m always there to support her. I try to be both a teacher and a friend,” says teacher Vesna.

Organising physical education classes is particularly difficult. Pair work and group activities are impossible, forcing the teacher to adjust the curriculum to individual instruction.

“It may sound unbelievable, but believe me, it’s much harder like this. I must adapt every class to her needs and compensate for the lack of interaction,” teacher Vesna adds.

Despite all the challenges, Valentina is an excellent student.

The “Stevan Dušanić” Primary School is located near the Liplje Monastery. Once bustling with children, its classrooms are now nearly empty. There are no signs that the number of pupils might increase. One classroom has already been turned into a museum, and many fear that once Valentina moves to the central school, this satellite school may close permanently.

“We have a total of 243 pupils. The central school has 151, here we have one, and the nine-year school in Liplje has 22. As for Buletić, where 17 children from the area are enrolled in Vicenza, Italy, we have only 11 pupils,” explains Siniša Božić, principal of the “Stevan Dušanić” Primary School in Pribinić.

Thanks to donations, the heating problem has been resolved, and the classroom is now warm. The next goal is to repair the access path so that the school’s only pupil can have safe and comfortable conditions for learning and daily school activities.