A school in New Zealand is fighting to remain open after its student count dropped to just two pupils, the children of Principal Steve Harley.

To try and increase student numbers, the Paerau School Board in Central Otago is considering offering a year of free accommodation to families with children of school going age.

The Otago Daily Times reporting Thursday said a family took up the same offer last year, only to shift away from the South Island district.

A family with three children recently moved away, reducing the roll cont by over half.

Founded in 1915, the roll at Paerau School according to Erin Elworthy, Chairman of the School Board said fluctuated in the past, as is normal for a small country school, peaking at 17 in the last decade.

The nearest school is a 45 minute drive away at Ranfurly.

Meeting the community last week, a Ministry of Education official discussed options for the school, saying there was no policy on allowing schools to remain open, simply because of the ongoing enrolment of a principal’s children.