Meet the 7 year old boy who is the only child in his school

(21 Apr 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

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Petrovici, Bosnia - 17 April 2024
1. Various of Mahir Behlulovic in spacious classroom with only one school desk set up in front of blackboard
2. SOUNDBITE (Bosnian) Mahir Behlulovic, the only pupil in his school:
“I was thinking that I won’t be able to stand (school) without peers, but as days and years went by, I got used to it and look at me now, I am used to being the only child in my school.”
3. Various of Behlulovic in classroom
4. Teacher Samir Kopic at blackboard
5. SOUNDBITE (Bosnian) Samir Kopic, primary school teacher:
“The first day we came to the school, Mahir was brought in by his mother and he and I looked at each other a bit like a cat and a mouse would. The child was probably assessing me wondering what his teacher will be like, if I’ll be strict or not, and I could only think of one thing, I could only pray to God that he will be a communicative child and that we will find things to talk about, which fortunately turned out to be the case.”
6. Various of classroom during lesson
7. SOUNDBITE (Bosnian) Mahir Behlulovic, the only pupil in his school:
"I liked my teacher immediately because I discovered how much he knew when I started questioning him about the things I did not know about, I started asking questions.”
8. Various of Mahir and his mother Azema getting ready to go to school
9. SOUNDBITE (Bosnian) Azema Behlulovic:
“At first it was kind of sad, but now I see that he has made a friend and that he enjoys (school). It was hard for me, but not anymore, my child is really having a beautiful time (in school).”
10. Various of classroom during lesson
11. Kopic entering classroom carrying a plastic bag, Behlulovic sitting at his desk in foreground
12. Kopic and Behlulovic exiting school, walking away from it down a village road together
STORYLINE:
Tucked in the mountains of central Bosnia is the picturesque, if lonely little village of Petrovici.

It's sparsely habited, a problem which has increased since the impoverished Balkan country emerged from its 1992-95 interethnic war.

The village was once home to over 300 people. Nowadays, only a few dozen live here and among them just one pre-teen, 7-year-old Mahir Behlulovic.

Every workday, Mahir's mother Azema Behlulovic helps her son pack his bag and get ready for school.

She then walks him to a big school building in the village to attend his classes.

It's not the schooling most children experience, but Behlulovic is grateful her son has a school to go to.

The school had been closed and shuttered for several years, but it reopened in 2022 when Mahir Behlulovic reached school age.

Primary education in Bosnia is compulsory, free of charge and it lasts 9 years.

For the first 5 years lessons are given by one class teacher, then older children are taught various subjects by different teachers.

Petrovici is remote and the nearest town is a 40 minute drive down a winding mountain road.

To solve the problem the local authority decided to reopen the village school and hire a dedicated teacher for Mahir.

That her son was the only child in school made Azemina Behlulovic sad at first.

“But now I see that he has made a friend and that he enjoys (school),” she says.

Mahir’s teacher Samir Kopic is now also his friend.

Each school day the two greet each other with a hug before embarking on their lessons.

Kopic is used to teaching classes of at least 20 children, so accepting to teach just one boy was a challenge for him too.
AP video by Almir Alic
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