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The only student in a remote Scottish island is moving up to secondary school in the mainland, leaving her primary school mothballed.
For two years at North Ronaldsay [RON-ld-see] Primary School, Teigan Scott studied one-on-one with a teacher who commuted by plane three days a week. For the two remaining school days, Teigan traveled to the mainland to study at another school.
Now, Teigan will fly weekly from her hometown to the mainland to attend secondary school in Kirkwall. She will stay there five days a week. Teigan says that she is excited to study in a bigger school but is saddened that her alma mater will close. A spokesperson for local authority said that in the meantime, the primary school will be utilized for other learning activities by the community association.
The school’s closing is a reflection of North Ronaldsay’s plight, said councilor Kevin Woodbridge. He said that when he came to the island, there were only 17 students in the school. In addition, during the length of his stay, the island’s population dropped from 127 to about 50.
According to Billy Muir [MYOU-er], the island’s community chairman, North Ronaldsay needs more housing to attract new families to stay there. The island’s transportation services also need to be improved. Currently, the island is serviced by a ferry and a seven-seater plane that do not operate during poor weather conditions.
Meanwhile, another remote Scottish island shares the same situation. A primary school in Foula had to look for a replacement teacher last June, as the only teacher in the island resigned. The teacher, who taught in the island for three and a half years, said that she missed the conveniences of mainland life, like being able to drive on proper roads.