Saudi Arabia: Septuagenarian challenges age and returns to school

Cairo: A Saudi man in his 70s has literally revived the school days, enrolling to study at a local secondary school, a Saudi newspaper reported.

Saleh Mefrah, a retired military employee, has taken his tests as a high-school student in the governorate of Sabya in south-west Saudi Arabia, the news portal Sabq added.

The man says he has returned to school in quest of knowledge, not a job.

“I’m interested in completing my studies. The manager and teaching staff at the educational complex welcomed with all support that has made me more determined to pursue studies,” Merfrah said.

The school staff feted him, extolling him as an example of perseverance in pursuing knowledge against the odds.

The old student is a keen follower of social media and community developments around him, the report said.