New Delhi: With schools and educational institutions shut for months amid the coronavirus pandemic, the young children of a village in Egypt’s northern Dakahlia province did not have to bother much about their education as they had a very dedicated teacher who offered school lessons everyday.
This teacher is 12-year-old Reem El-Khouly, who started offering instruction to her younger neighbours in Atmidah, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Cairo, when schools were shut. During the pandemic, every day up to 30 children gathered in a narrow village street for their daily lessons.
As per a report, Khouly said, “I thought that instead of having them play in the street, I can teach them. I wake up in the morning, pray and I call them to start the classes. I teach them Arabic, mathematics, religion and English.”
Khouly started using just a notebook before being given a blackboard and some chalk. Now, she has a whiteboard and marker pens donated by a local company, said a Reuters report.
“Once the schools were closed, Reem started teaching us so that we don’t forget what we learned at school,” said Mohamed Abdel Moneim, a nine-year-old who attends the classes.
“I love Miss Reem because I really understand Arabic, maths and English due to her teaching, ” another added.
Khouly further said that she hopes to work as a maths teacher someday when she is older.
“My mum didn’t encourage me in the beginning because my voice was loud, but she encouraged me when she saw how the students were interacting with me and benefiting, and told me I can do this as long as I like it,” she said.