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What would it be like to attend school in a different culture? A couple of students share their experiences

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It may be elementary, but it’s not easy!

Middle East
Each morning during this first week of Ramadan we are awakened at 4 a.m. by a man walking the streets banging on a big drum. He is rousing people for their first meal before the sunrise-to-sunset fast begins. Thankfully, my kids sleep through the noise.

Many have asked how our son is adjusting to elementary school here in the Middle East. School is very different in many ways. All the children from first to fifth grade wear the same blue and white uniform. Every morning begins with children lined up on the playground by class. Three children in front of the group shout out a national pledge that all the children recite back in one voice. Our son feels strange saying this pledge. We explained to him that, though he is not a national, he can say these words because we love this country, and God sent us here.

Knowing his teacher is a Christian is a comfort to our son. There is one other Christan in the school, but she is from a Muslim background. She does not profess her faith openly out of fear of her family. Our son's teacher is from a minority Christian background, so she does not face the same social disapproval and pressures as someone who converts from Islam.

Our son shares a desk with a classmate. Sometimes the classes are so full that three students must sit together. We had feared 40 to 50 children enrolled in his class, but there are only 33. The Lord is good! The children generally stay with the same teacher and classmates for five years. Relationships become close, but if you get a bad teacher you are stuck with her for five years!

Between each class period there is a break when the teachers go to have tea. The children are free to stay in their seats and color, play in the hallway, use the bathroom or visit other classrooms. I visited the school once during the break time, and it looked like contained chaos to me.

Another big difference from North American schools is that parents are expected to contribute financially to help pay for school supplies, books, photo copies and even curtains in the classrooms. The playground is no more than one big parking lot with no play equipment, but the children enjoy having the space to run.

Parent/teacher meetings are very different, too. They generally begin at 11 a.m. since the school day runs from 12:50 to 6 p.m. Parents bring their children along to play in the hallway. It's quite noisy! The teacher is very forthright in speaking to the parents. “Did I not send out notes to you of what I wanted packed into their school bags? The children have grown up. Do not treat them like babies. So they cry for a few days. They will learn.”

Parents also feel free to speak freely back to the teacher. I had a difficult time holding back a smile when a completely covered mother stood up to voice a concern. All of us had difficulty understanding her muffled voice behind her veil. To everyone else this was normal school life. I assumed that the more covered a woman was, the more timid she would be, but I learned this is not the case.

My son has homework every day which becomes my homework, too, as I see my language improve with the exercises. We supplement his education with homeschooling, but it can be difficult to get organized. I enjoy walking him to school and back with the neighborhood mothers and hope to invite them for tea once Ramadan is over.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. We are also praying for you, especially those of you who have also, like us, just sent your kids off to school for the first time. We know it's a big step anywhere in the world!

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