DR. Ishrat Suri, a professor of Education and English as a Second Language and a former American expat in the Kingdom, with her vision, far-sightedness and intellect, probably epitomizes the ideal qualities of a teacher. Having taught in the Kingdom for 24 years, she is currently teaching at Rice University, Houston, and was here recently on an Umrah visit and to meet her students, friends and colleagues. “Teaching was my childhood passion and ambition. While I was studying in the convent school in Lahore, I used to talk with a lot of hand gestures, which cause one sister to remark, ‘You will be a great teacher one day'”, and that, Dr. Suri said, was what motivated her to become a teacher. Dr. Suri's father was in the Pakistani military forces. She was only 12 when she used to gather poor children from the neighborhood and give them school-type tuition classes. She was hired by the Saudi Ministry of Education in 1981 to teach in the ‘Teachers Training College' in Madina. “It was the first ever college in Madina and we were the first batch of teachers,” recalled Dr. Suri. “Saudis were new to the English language and often faced difficulty in pronouncing words, but they exhibited the determination and skill to learn. Some of them took some time to do so, while some others were quick at it. Teaching them was a joy for me” she said Dr. Suri believes that women in Saudi Arabia are “highly motivated and willing to take challenges. They have been successful and have accomplished a lot, providing a challenge for men,” she said. After teaching for eight years in Madina, Dr. Suri traveled to the United States, where she said she was able to reflect Saudi culture in her teaching style. “Students in America were eager to know about the lifestyle and culture of Saudi Arabia, as during that time. They thought that the Kingdom was just a desert with hot weather. I was able to discuss with them the different aspects of Islamic culture. I could see that they were able to accept the fact that Saudi Arabia has a culture which keeps its people happy,” she said. However, Dr. Suri returned to the Kingdom after two years. She feels Saudi Arabia is the best place to live in. “Every country in the world has its own set of rules and regulations, and respecting them should be the foremost duty of its citizens,” she said. Her appointment in Umm-Ul-Qura University in Makkah gave Dr. Suri “a lot of opportunity to grow in terms of attitude and work ethics.” “Every student of mine wanted to do something. They wanted to enter the business field, work in a bank, and so on. The Saudi government is now offering a very conducive environment for women. Saudi women, who comprise half the country's population, today are so accomplished that they are taking up a variety of jobs,” she said Many of her students have become teachers and Dr. Suri is extremely proud of them. “They have replaced me,” she remarked. What does Dr. Suri think about the higher education system in the Kingdom? “The government should now consider the population and establish more universities that should act as a beacon of light for the Muslim World which looks up to Saudi Arabia and for Muslim professionals who would like to come here to study,” she said. Dr. Suri said learning English also helps in spreading awareness about the knowledge of Islam. “The curriculum here compulsorily follows the knowledge of the Hadith and the Qur'an. Saudis who learn English can impart this knowledge to non-Muslims. It gives us a double edge,” she said.
