The fate of small rural schools varies. There are regions where there are no schools outside the administrative center. It all depends on what kind of educational network the local government wants to see, and, of course, the overall state policy is equally important, writes Diena.
In the Dobele region, there are eight rural schools, one of which is the Penkule Primary School, currently attended by about one hundred children, with 30 in preschool groups. The first school in the Penkule parish opened after 1875 and changed its location several times until a new school building was opened in 1937, which existed in that form for only seven years. In 1944, the Germans brought printing equipment from Latvian cities to send to Germany. To prevent it from falling into the hands of the Soviet army, the Germans bombed the school building, and it burned to the ground. The school was restored in 1949 and in 1966/1967. The third floor was added in 1994, and a gym was built in the same year.
The status of the school has changed over time: at one point, it was even transformed into a secondary school, but now, since 1992, it is referred to as a primary school. Deputy Director Agnese Krūmiņa describes it as a small school with family traditions and values. She is glad that, thanks to the parents and local residents, the school has been preserved, and parents choose to send their children here.
Previously, there were more students in the school - about 250, but now this number fluctuates around 100: 44 in primary school, 56 in the main school, and 30 children attend kindergarten, indicating continuity. Children from not only the nearby area but also from afar study here, including from areas where there used to be two schools - Naudītes (closed in 2014) and Bukaiši (2017).
The Penkule parish is larger compared to Naudītes and Bukaiši - it has a culture house and a library. Importantly, the main road runs next to the school, making it convenient for parents working in Jelgava or Dobele to drop off and pick up their children. Public transport also serves this route, and some children use it. The school operates three educational programs: a main one and two special ones for children with learning and developmental disabilities. There are 12 children with special needs in the school, and this year they are learning not in a separate class but together with the others.
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