How Ajman got its first school

Ajman: The desire to help youngsters articulate who they are, build confidence and improve the education system were values close to the heart of Late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, one of the most influential men of the last century. Even after his death he remains a giant figure of significant stature.

“The real asset of any advanced nation is its people, especially the educated ones, and the prosperity and success of the people are measured by the standard of their education,” said Shaikh Zayed.

Shaikh Zayed was also associated with several educational initiatives which helped establish an excellent and diverse system of schooling in the UAE from before and after the federation.

Today, like Shaikh Zayed, the UAE can boast a resilient higher education which is a result of the efforts a team of strong-willed men made in the mid-1950s.

Murshed Al Oussami, an Emirati, was commissioned by the Kuwaiti government to help open the school together with the help of Ahmad Qasim Al Buraimi and Mustafa Hassim. Together they set about laying plans, the first of which was to find a suitable area at which to build the school here. The search led them to the Al Qassimi area in Sharjah where they would begin construction of a simple school made out of bricks, sand and leaves.

In 1953 Kuwaiti Abdul Aziz Hussain, Director of the Al Ma’arif Department (Knowledge department), visited the UAE to oversee the plans that were being made. He was impressed with the progress and promised to send teachers from Kuwait and Qatar to assist in setting up the school.

The first batch of teachers arrived in the UAE in 1954. Among them was Ebrahim Al Barghouti, who was to play a pioneering role in the future of the country’s education system. Born in Palestine, Al Barghouti was dedicated to his task and did not waste time to find his niche. However, he noticed that many of his students were from Ajman, and that they would walk 15-20km daily to attend his classes. Inspired by their commitment, Al Barghouti decided to relocate the school from Sharjah to Ajman and sought permission from the Kuwait government. Their response was positive and soon Al Barghouti was conducting his classes in Ajman, which in 1957 did not even have a bakery.

With the support he received from Kuwait and Qatar in terms of funding, stationery, clothing and accessories the school in the Al Rashidiya area in Ajman began to flourish.

Al Barghouti was in constant consultation with Al Oussami during this time and about 150 more teachers were commissioned to the UAE from Kuwait and Qatar.

The groundwork had been established.

“We’ve got what we needed with the support of Kuwait and Qatar,” Al Barghouti recalls. “With the right vision and the right people we can plan our future and make it happen.

“We were passionate about the youth and we focused on their needs, creativity, and drive. We only needed a collective vision and the collective commitment in order to create the roots for an education system.”

Al Barghouti also highlighted the roles played by Shaikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi and Shaikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi.

“Shaikh Rashid was very involved with what we were doing to develop the school and we went around Ajman, to the souks, beach and event streets, encouraging parents to send their youngsters to our school,” he said.

“Education was something new to Emiratis during this time as most of them preferred to have their children home-schooled with the help of a mullah. It was quite a challenge but were began to succeed and soon had close to 100 students enrolled in our school.

“I can proudly say that many of the students that studied at our school are now very high-ranking government officials.”

However, Al Barghouti was finding the task of being principal, teacher and assistant difficult to handle and Shaikh Rashid sent Mohammad Al Kus, a very learned Emirati who was well versed with the Quran, to assist him.

“By this time the school was doing very well. I noticed that the students loved coming to school and were doing well in their studies. The numbers began to increase and our goal was slowly, but steadily being realised,” recalled Al Barghouti, who is the father of five girls and three boys, who have all been given a good education.

“The role of the parent and teacher are no different. The relationship of the parent and teacher with their children or students is the same. It is very important to have a good education in life. Without education life is meaningless.”

Al Barghouti is also credited with opening the first school for girls in the UAE with the support of Shaikh Humaid, who convinced his father to open a school in 1972.

Having served the UAE for over 48 years Al Barghouti left the country to live in the USA. But he returns regularly to the place that he calls home.

Following his efforts, the UAE can now boast one of the best education systems in the world. Nationals can attend government institutions free of charge and many private institutions, supplement the private sector.

When it comes down to sagacity, few can rival people like Al Barghouti, who had the passion to give children the opportunity for the future.