Public school teachers in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao study Arabic during Ramadan

DATU UNSAY, Maguindanao - Mentors in the morning, students in the afternoon. These best describe the teachers of a public school in Datu Unsay in Maguindanao these days.

 

For a month now, teachers of Datu Unsay Elementary School (DUES) have been coming in as students to study Arabic after their teaching hours are over.

 

Islamic teacher Sarah Zailon has been spending time educating her co-teachers on Arabic and the correct pronunciation of verses of the Qur’an during the fasting month.

 

This has been the daily routine of DUES teachers since June 16 when Ramadan, the fasting month, started. It is expected to end on July 16, the feast of Eid’l Fitr.

 

“We used to stand before our students sitting in front of us in school. After regular classes, our teachers take their seats as Arabic students,” Zailon said, adding that Arabic classes focus on the learning the Arabic alphabet and the correct pronunciation.

 

While almost 100 percent of the pupils are Muslims, some teachers are non-Muslims and they too study Arabic under Ustadza Zailon’s class.

 

“It is important for teachers to teach students the correct pronunciation of Qur’an verses. We cannot teach what we cannot pronounce correctly,” Zailon said.

 

She admitted that even Muslim teachers have difficulty in the correct pronunciation of verses in the Arabic language so there is a need for special classes. The Arabic language is used in Islamic prayers.

 

“I want my co-teachers to learn the correct way and correct pronunciation of verses in the Qur’an so I am taking this extra work, free of charge, for my co-teachers,” she said. Zailon spends an hour or two as Arabic teacher.

 

Rakma Saway, a teacher of DUES and Zailon’s student, lauded the efforts of her co-teacher. In return, she has been trying her best to learn the language.

 

“Ma'm Zailon’s extra efforts for us teachers are of great help for us. We consider this a blessing,” Saway said, admitting she lacks enough knowledge in Arabic reading and understanding.

 

Zailon said she intends to continue teaching Arabic to her co-teachers even after the fasting month as her way of serving God. —KG, GMA News