In the movie Not One Less, shown nationwide this year, the sentiment of a young teacher who made every effort to keep each student at the school moved a large Chinese audience.
In a village school in east China's Anhui Province, however, there is only one teacher teaching one student.
Liao Shi'an has no classmate, but school life is so enjoyable because everything he learns from his teacher, Pan Xiushu, is new and exciting to him.
Qiaotou Village is located in a poor mountainous area in Wanjia township, Ningguo city, with only 34 households. The villagers have to walk a whole day to get to the nearest town. In the past, hilly roads and deep streams prevented school age children from going to school in the neighboring villages.
In 1972, the local government set aside a special fund to establish a school for Qiaotou Village. The idea was applauded by all the villagers, some of whom volunteered to empty out rooms in their home as classrooms.
Five teachers have worked at the school during the past 30 years. Children in the village can study here for four years, before they turn to a boarding school in other mountainous village to continue their studies. There has been no school dropout in the village since the school was established.
Pan Xiushu, who has been teaching for over 30 years, started to work at Qiaotou Primary School two years ago. He spends most of his time at the school and goes home only on weekends.
"I used to have three students. The other two have finished their first four years and are attending a boarding school some 13 kilometers away. Liao Shi'an, the only student at the moment, is in his third year. This must be the smallest school in China," Pan said, smiling.
"But a new school year will soon start in September, and three more children will join us." he said.
(Xinhua News Agency 07/09/2001)
