A French lady recently told me a story. “A while ago I went to see a nursery school in a certain area of Dubai,” she said, adding, “I came to know about this nursery via the Internet. I was extremely eager to send my daughter to an Arab nursery. I’m married to a UAE citizen and feel it necessary that my child understands her country and the Arabic language. Because I don’t speak Arabic and her father is always busy with work, I figured that a nursery would be the best place for her to spend a couple of hours a day playing with other children. However, when I arrived at the nursery I was left shocked and I still am.”
I asked her what it was that shocked her and she said that she arrived at the nursery after searching for one that is run and managed by Arabs. She also told me that the horrible condition of the nursery made her wonder how the Dubai authorities could license and maintain it. It was unclean, and the employees lacked a sense of care and responsibility. “It was simply a disaster,” she told me, adding that the workers did not know how to deal with the children in their care, who appeared to be sad and miserable.
Let us first start by praising this lady who values cultural diversity and believes children should learn the languages of both their parents. I would also like to praise her persistence in wanting to find an appropriate nursery for her child. In fact, let us praise all women who are so diligent and value such things. Simultaneously, I wonder: Are there no Arab nurseries in Dubai that are professionally run maintaining high standards?
If the answer is no, then we need to ask why this is the case? Why is it that while a French mother is keen to teach her daughter the language of her father, most Arab families are totally unbothered about their children’s education?
The same lady told me that she visited European-run nurseries and found everything in line with international standards and much more. They were extremely healthy, clean and professional. So why do we have this paradox? Here I would like to refer to a suggestion by a reader who sent a letter to Al-Bayan asking the authorities to establish government-run nurseries. These nurseries must be built according to international standards of layout and professionalism that are dedicated to the wellbeing of children. They must employ UAE graduates to look after the children of Emiratis.
This would save women the effort and trouble of finding a good nursery for their children. It would also close the door for people who want to use our children’s health and wellbeing to make money by building useless nurseries that lack standards of care and professionalism.
