It’s back to school for these mums and grandmums

Noura Al Hajri got married at 13. Saddled with marital responsibility early on and having to raise eight children meant her education had to take a backseat. “I didn’t go to school at all,” she says.

In 1998, she started to go to school but had to drop out. “I have other priorities. I have eights kids and prefer to take care of all of them.”

In 2009, she went back to school, starting from scratch in the first grade and continues to go there today. She is now in Grade 7 at the Abu Dhabi Adult Education Centre. Aged 48, she is looking forward to graduating.

“I gained a lot of knowledge despite a lot of challenges and being busy at home ... The centre is very understanding. I am trying my best and I hope I will be able to continue, Insha Allah, till Grade 12,” she says.

Shamsa Al Mansouri stopped going to school 15 years ago to accompany her sick father to go abroad for treatment. She was constantly travelling and was in the UAE only for about two to three months at a time.

When her father passed away in 2009, Shamsa started her education from where she left off. The 39-year-old Emirati registered for home schooling for two years for Grades 10 and 11. But now in her final year, she has opted to attend the evening classes at Al Dana Centre for Adults in Al Bateen.

The challenge, she says, is managing time between work and school, as her work shift ends at 4pm and her classes start at 3.45pm.

Her reasons for wanting to finish high school? “I want to be promoted and although I am taking other courses, pursuing high school is the only way to get promoted at work. I would also like to further my studies to take up psychology degree at the university (level),” Shamsa says.

Afra Al Hameli dropped out of school at the beginning of Grade 10 to get married. For 14 years, her own education was her least concern. But that has changed and she is now a year shy of graduating, and plans to pursue higher education.

Going back to school was not that easy, she says. “It is very hard because I am married and have four kids. I have to structure my time according to my family’s needs. And going back to school after a long time, it’s really hard to get into the rhythm of studying,” says the 34-year old student.

Thankfully, teachers at adult learning centres are very accommodating and assist students to understand their lessons. “They understand our difficulties, there’s participation between the teacher and the student,” Afra says.

Jihan Al Hamammi attended two months of university classes before dropping out to get married. For 27 years, she stayed at home to raise her five children in Saudi Arabia. Five years ago, she separated from her husband and that was when she decided to do something about her life.

This decision entailed going back to school. However, she had lost her high school certificate. Unable to produce a copy and not keen on putting her education on hold again, she took the Grade 9 standard examination at the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s (Adec) adult learning programme and started on that level. Now, the 50-year-old grandmother of two has reached Grade 11 and is looking forward to pursuing a degree in business or public relations.

“Life doesn’t stop at separation or a problem. On the contrary, this is when my life started. I began to think positively and how to further educate myself. I need to help myself as no one else will.”

Jihan also kept herself busy with volunteer works and technology to keep up with her grandchildren. “Life is moving forward and advancing and I believe in advancing with it,” she says. 

Knowledge is illumination

For these women, age, responsibility and personal troubles are not deterrent to their ultimate goal. They may have put off school for a while to put the needs of their families first, but it is now time for them to pursue their formal education and have a certificate to show for it.

“El elm noor, (knowledge is illumination). Education opens doors for you,” Noura explains simply. An ambition that Noura’s husband is more than willing to support. “My husband is the most supportive person with regards to my education,” says the grandmother of three.

Noura’s daughters are also encouraging her and are helping her with the subjects she has difficulty with, especially English, Science and Math.

Eager to learn

Fathima Ahmed, an Arabic teacher at the Abu Dhabi Adult Education Centre who has been teaching adults for the past 20 years, says adult students are mature and intelligent.

“They respect their teachers and are always eager to learn. They like studying and they take their attendance and absences very seriously. They’re very protective (about) ... learning and are very determined despite their personal challenges, and we appreciate their efforts because of these challenges. There’s a friendship between everybody at the centre — between the faculty members, teacher, administration and the students,” she says.

 Family issues

According to Hesna Rashid Al Busaeedi, a social worker at the centre, family issues are often the reason for students not coming to class, such as when their child is sick.

At other times, the reason is a “jealous husband forbidding his wife to stay at home”.

“There are husbands who are working but did not finish school and his wife is trying to finish her studies. There’s competition there, so he stops her from going. I sometimes have to call the husband to explain that his wife going to school is good for their future and that he has to allow her to go, then he agrees and she would come back,” she says.

 

Adult centres

There are currently 2,794 males and females (Arabs and Emiratis) enrolled in day and evening classes at 32 adult learning centres across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbiya. About 2,640 students are registered in home schooling (those who don’t attend classes and come to schools only for exams).

There are 10 centres in Abu Dhabi — five for males and five for females — attended by 2,400 students.

Adec is responsible for nine day-time female centres in all three regions, while the rest of the evening schools operate out of a Cycle 2 public school. All adult learning centres follow the Ministry of Education curriculum although subjects are simplified to be easily covered during the four-hour period.

Grades 1-2 and 3-4 are each combined in one academic year. Students sit for their exam following the same schedule as mainstream education. The only difference is not having a Physical Education class.

 

Grade 12 certificate required

According to Zubaida Ahmed Thabet, senior specialist at Adec’s adult education, companies here now require Emirati employees to obtain a grade 12 certificate.

“Organisations here are pushing them to finish grade 12 to improve themselves in their job,” Thabet says.

According to her, companies are even giving study leaves to employees so that they can complete their degrees.

She says majority of the students at adult education centres are males. “If they want to be promoted, they will not get the same chance if they don’t have a certificate. So their passion to study is great,” she points out.

The adult learning centres are open for Emiratis or Arabic speaking women married to Emiratis. For home schooling, Arabic speaking is required. Adec says it desires to have an educated community, with a focus on the Emirati population that are seeking to complete their education and obtain a grade 12 certificate.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com