Taaleem Schools: American Academy Al-Mizhar

Why I Chose Girls Only Education for My

Daughters
As a girl in Grade 1, I gleefully clapped my hands and
sang and sang a nursery rhyme while dancing in a circle
with a group of girls during recess. Inevitable, a few
boys would leave their pebble- throwing antics aside for
a while to push us and taunt us.
For one reason or another, the boys teased, pushed and
taunted us girls throughout our school years. Teachers
seemed to spend most of the class period trying to get
my male counLerparLs Lo seLLle down."
1hey spenL Lhe resL of Lhe Llme respondlng Lo 1odds or
Lds rldlculous quesLlons or commenLs, whlch were
always completely unrelated to the lesson at hand. I
yearned to attend a school where civilised young ladies
could peacefully play and study without interruption
from jeering, boisterous boys.
Pow ln Lhe world do boys grow up Lo rule Lhe world?" l
often wondered.
To escape the classroom tyranny, I delved into a world
of girl heroines between the pages of Little Women, Heidi, Helen Keller and Nancy Drew. During that
stage, The Trouble with Angels was my favourite movie, because it featured students at an all-girls
school.
While the protagonist was mischievous, somewhat like the heroine in Pippi Longstocking, she was able
to look into her soul and correct her own character flaws.
Lven ln unlverslLy, l yearned for women herolnes, and sLudled under womens llLeraLure scholar ur.
Mildred Hill-Lubin at the University of Florida. There, I learned about the vibrant women character
developed by Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou and Alice Walker.
1here were no glrls schools Lo be found ln Mlaml when l searched for a serene educational setting for
my two daughters, Nuola, now age 23; and Moremi, now 19. They ended up attending a Spanish-
English, bilingual education school.
Rough and Tough

Taaleem Schools: American Academy Al-Mizhar

I was in Dubai when my now 5-year-old twins, Breanna and Brooke, were ready for KG1. I consider
myself quite fortunate to work at the same place where my girls study, at the American Academy in Al-
Mizhar (AAM). It is the only accredited American-curriculum school that provides a girls-only education
for students in Grades 1-12. Kindergarten classes are, separately, co-ed or girls-only.
Breanna was in a co-ed class last year in KG1, while Brooke was in a girls-only class. Now they are both in
girls-only classes. Unlike me, Breanna who enjoys rough housing actually enjoyed playing with
boys.
?ou Lalk Lo glrls, and Lhen cry" 8reanna sald 8uL boys, you can Lell Lhem anyLhlng. ?ou can push Lhem.
You can punch them. You can klck Lhem, and Lhey donL cry."
Brooke on the other hand prefers a softer approach, which comes from being in class with girls.
Clrls are nlce and smarL," she sald. 1he glrls are nlcer Lhan Lhe boys, buL l llke [usL one nlce boy ln
anoLher class." he llke to head to the playground and play with them.
AL Lhelr young age, lLs noL very slgnlflcanL for Lhem Lo be ln class wlLh mlxed genders.
But my older girls Nuola and Moremi, say that as they moved to higher grades, they began competing
with other girls for the attention of boys.
1hey sald Lhey felL llke Lhey had Lo dumb down" Lhelr academlc prowess ln fronL of boys so Lhey would
not feel threatened by the girls intelligence.
I believe that we are doing things the right way at the American Academy in Al-Mizhar: letting boys and
girls mix in the younger grades, but separating them when they get older. In this way, girls can develop
and maLure on Lhelr own, wlLhouL havlng Lo worry abouL snlps and snalls."

About The Article
This article appeared in Gulf News Sunday, February 3, 2013. Written by
Adeyela Bennet and appeared on the press centre of
www.americanacademy.ae