17 sets of twins start school in one town: ‘Must be something in the water’

These teachers are seeing double — many times over.

With the first day of school around the corner, 17 sets of twins are primed to enroll this fall.

The catch? They’re all from the same Scottish town of Greenock, Inverclyde, which has been aptly nicknamed “Twinverclyde.”

St. Patrick’s and Ardgowan Primary are welcoming three sets of twins each into primary one this fall, marking a record year for twin intake — the second highest on record.

“It has become an annual tradition in Inverclyde, or Twinverclyde as we’ve become known, to welcome our twins into primary one,” Graeme Brooks, the depute provost at St Patrick’s, told Southwest News Service, adding that the community is “lucky to have so many incredible schools.”

The elementary school recently held a dress rehearsal ahead of the academic year as excitement builds among the pupils.

“But schools are nothing without the children, staff and families who make them and it’s great to see some of the next generation coming through here today and I wish them all the very best as they embark on the next stage of their education journey,” Brooks said.

1.6 million twins are born annually around the world, according to research from Oxford that reported a record number of twin births in 2021.

But Inverclyde has always been known for its high rates of twins, with 147 sets attending the local schools in the past decade.

In 2015 alone, 19 pairs began school at the same time.

Local Inverclyde parent Arlene Fulton is sending her 5-year-old twins Anna and Aaron to King’s Oak Primary this month.

“Seventeen sets of twins is something else, it must be something in the water,” said Arlene.

It’s a “big day” for her kiddos after their enrollment was stalled following the COVID-19 pandemic.

”It’s such a big day, after a long wait for them to start its come in too quickly almost,” she added.