Page 427 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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GIRLS’ SCHOOLS
(Report by Lady Bclgravc, Directress of Girls’ Education)

No event of particular importance occurred during the school year. The new Zahra
School was opened and the hired building, which the school had occupied since it started, was
given up. The new school was built for the purpose; besides being very much larger than the
old building it has light and airy rooms and a large courtyard where the children can do physical
exercises and where they can play during recess. On two sides of the school there is a garden
which has flourished extremely well, partly because the site was originally cultivated land.
The school is in a secluded side street which is suitable for a purdah school in a Moslem country.
The Secondary Class, which was started in the previous year, made good progress. Among
the students were girls from the Government schools and some from the American Mission
Girls School.
The Needlework Exhibition, which used to be held in the Palace was held in the school,
the many large rooms, wide verandahs and the courtyard made it a more suitable place for such
an exhibition and every school was able to have a room in which to display its work. The high
standard of work was maintained.
During the year a Palestinian trained nurse was engaged to work in the Girls’ Schools.
Later on she was joined by the Biitish wife of a Government Official who was specially trained
to deal with child welfare.
Repairs to the schools were carried out by the P.NV.D. during the summer and preparations
were made to open three new schools in 1372. One of these will be in a large house in Manama,
which was hired from the owner and adapted for the purpose. Unfortunately it is not suffi­
ciently distant from the other two schools. Another school is needed at the western end of the
town but at present no building is available in that district.
In Muharraq work was in progress in the Old Police Station which is to be converted into a
school, a new Police Station having been built near the pier. At West Rafaa another house was
hired and adapted for a school.
The one Government student who is being educated abroad, at Baalbek, in the Lebanon,
continued to make satisfactory progress.
Books, kindergarten equipment and material for uniform were imported from England.
The cost per head of a student was Rs. 218/- per annum.

The number of students attending the various schools were as follow :—
Aysha Um A1 Moumineen (Manama Old School) 473
Fatimah A1 Zahra (Manama New) 416
Khadijah A1 Kubra (Muharraq Old) 469
Mariam bt. Umran (Muharraq New) 294
Hidd ............................................................... 152
Rafaa 149
Secondary Class 11
Total .. 1,964

Staff—Foreign : Inspectress 1
Teaching Staff 13
Nursing 2
Local : Teaching Staff 61
Locally engaged foreigners 4
Clerical Staff 2
Total 83