|
The
dangers of having female teachers for boys in elementary schools
I
have come across what the newspaper al-Madinah printed in
Issue #3898, dated 2-30-1397 A.H., written by on calling herself
Nura bint Abdullah, under the title, "Face to Face.
In
sum, Nura is saying that she had a meeting with a number of
women, including the female Dean of the College of Education,
Jeddah, whose name is Faiza. Nura mentions Faiza's surprise
that there are no female teachers teaching boys in the elementary
level, even to the fifth grade. Nura supported Faiza's views
in that article for a number of reasons.
Personally,
with thanks to Faiza, Nura and their colleagues for the concern
about the teaching of our young boys and for their welfare,
I find it an obligation upon myself to point out that their
suggestion is filled with evil and harmful consequences. Having
women teach boys at the elementary level means that they will
have to mix with boys who are at puberty or adolescent stages,
this is because some of the boys do not complete the elementary
stage until they are already in adolescence, and some have
already completed puberty. This is because, when a boy reaches
ten years old, he is considered an adolescent. He naturally
becomes inclined toward women. Someone like him can even get
married and do what men do.
And
there is another matter, having women teach the boys will
lead to mixing between the two sexes. That will then continue
until the next level. This will open the door, without question,
to mixing between the sexes at all levels. The evil results
of such mixing in the schools are well-known. The devastating
results that come from that type of teaching can be seen in
other countries. Whoever has the smallest amount of knowledge
of the Sharee'ah
evidences and what is occurring to this ummah
during this age knows what definitely occurs to the boys and
girls due to such practices. I believe that this suggestion
has been inspired by Satan or some of his deputies upon the
tongues of the above mentioned Faiza and Nura .
It
is, without doubt, something that is pleasing to our enemies
and the enemies of Islaam, and is from what those enemies
are calling for, openly and privately. Therefore, I see that
the door to this kind of practice must be completely closed.
Our boys must be left to be taught by men at all levels of
instruction. Similarly, the girls must be left to be taught
by female teachers at all levels of instruction. This will
preserve our religion, our boys and our girls. It will be
sufficient for us for our respected female teachers to fulfill
their responsibilities to the best of their abilities with
purity, sincerity and patience in teaching our girls. And
the men must also fulfill their responsibilities with purity,
sincerity and patience in teaching our boys at every level.
It is also well-known that a man has more patience and is
stronger in teaching boys and he can give him more teachings
in every level of schooling.
It
is well-known that the boys, in the primary and higher levels
of education, respect and esteem their male teacher. They
will be more willing to submit and accept what he says. If
the women were teaching them at those different levels, they
would not have the characteristics, patience and strength
with them that men have. It has been authentically narrated
from the Prophet (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) that he said:
((Order
your children to pray at the age of seven. And beat them [lightly]
if they do not do so by the age of ten. And separate them
in their bedding))
This
hadeeth
points out what we have been saying about the dangers of mixing
boys and girls at all levels of instruction. The evidence
for that from the Qur.aan, Sunnah
and the experience of the ummah
today are many but I do not wish to mention them all here
in order to be brief.
The
knowledge of our government, may Allaah give them understanding,
as well as the Minister of Education and the President of
the Directory for Girls Education is sufficient for us to
go into this matter here. I ask Allaah to grant us all what
is good for this ummah.
And to make us and our male and female youth good. And to
give them happiness in both this life and the Hereafter. He
is the Hearer, Responder. And peace and blessings be upon
our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companion.
Shaykh
Ibn Baaz
Fataawa al-Mar.ah
|
