Joud Al-Amri Saudi Gazette For many families, back-to-school period is a nightmare. As school time draws near, some students are getting depressed and crying tears of sorrow. Parents too have to suffer when their young ones start going to school, as the cranky mood, the bellow over lunch and dinner, doing homework and sleeping early will soon resume. Some children interviewed by Saudi Gazette said that they were not at all looking forward to the new academic year as they do not like the environment of their schools and the fact that they are loaded with schoolwork, which leaves them little time for play. Raniya Murad's eight-year-old Faisal will now be going to grade three starting the new academic year. He is already distressed about spending long hours in school, doing classwork and then homework, sleeping early and playing less. Fatima's nine-year-old daughter Jenna and 15-year-old son Yusuf detest going back to school too next week. They are sad because they will no longer be allowed to go out at odd hours to have fun or stay up late during the night in front of the TV. Fatima said all her children including those who have finished high school did not like going to school at all; they preferred staying at home. Over the years, Fatima tired changing her children's perception about going to school, but to no avail. Fatima believes that the monotonous and demanding school routines, teaching methods and other things that take place inside the class make students hate education and school. She believes that the Ministry of Education should take some steps to make education more student-friendly, so that children look forward to going to school instead of running away from it. Mona Kamil, another parent of an eight-year-old shares Fatima's views. Her young daughter also does not like getting up early in the morning and wearing the school uniform. Her daughter hates to go to school every day and listen to teachers shouting and ordering students around in class. She feels sad when she does not watch TV or spend some time with her mother and sisters at night. For many families, such sufferings will continue if current school practices and teaching methods do not change. Ahmad Othman, a retired school teacher with over forty years experience, said, “Teachers and principals play the most crucial role in making student love or hate school, adding that this does not mean that families should completely wash their hands away from the responsibility of making the children like school. “Based on my experience, I can assure you that no one hates education but it is the environment which makes the students love or loath education and school. If teachers and students trust and respect each other, students will love school, not hate it," Othman said. Othman also said that some students who have personal or psychological problems due to family issues also play a large role in loathing education and school. He believes that families and schools should work together to solve these problems. Moreover, teachers should give students more freedom to say what they think and let them voice their opinions, as long as students do not cross their lines. Teachers and principals should welcome students with big smiles and a have small celebratory party during the first week of the school.
