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A poll conducted by Al Bayan on its social media platforms to measure the extent of parents’ support for the idea of enrolling their children in boarding schools showed that 64.7% of participants reject this idea.
The survey participants explained that the reason for their refusal was related to the emotional and social impact on children when they attend such schools, and they blamed some programs and series, especially cartoons, such as the famous series “Sally,” which negatively affected their opinions and ideas about boarding schools, where some or all students live during the school year, away from their families during school days.
The popular cartoon series from the 1980s, Sally, tells the story of a young girl who faces many difficulties in a boarding school, after the death of her father. This series is seen as one of the reasons that planted negative feelings towards boarding schools in the generations that grew up on it. For many parents, the image of boarding schools was associated with isolation and suffering, which made them see it as an unsuitable environment for children.
Commenting on the results of the described survey, Dr. Shafei Al Neyadi, Human Development and Family Relations Trainer, explained that boarding schools may not be the ideal choice for raising children who need emotional support and daily communication with their parents, which boarding schools may not provide.
He added: “Although some children may benefit from the disciplined environment provided by boarding schools, being away from the family for long periods may lead to difficulties in family communication and affect children’s mental health.”
Al Neyadi stressed the need to find a balance between good education and family support to ensure the child’s healthy growth, considering that family communication is one of the basics in a child’s life and building family loyalty.
For her part, Dr. Maysaa Abdullah, an educational and psychological consultant, stated that boarding schools may not be suitable for many children, especially in the early stages of life, explaining that the child needs to feel safe and receive daily emotional support from his family, and these things may be missing in the boarding environment.
Maysaa Abdullah believes that children who spend long periods away from their families may face difficulties in building strong family ties, which may affect their self-confidence and emotional development. She also points out that the influence of parents in these early stages of a child’s life is not limited to academic education, but also includes guiding behavior, values, and moral upbringing.
She stressed the importance of balancing academic aspects with children’s emotional and social needs, emphasizing the need for the family to be present on a daily and continuous basis in their lives, to ensure a healthy psychological and social balance.
“I completely reject the idea of boarding school, because it reminds me of Sally’s suffering,” said Heba Dnawi, a mother of three children. “I feel that being away from the family and living in such an environment could have a psychological impact on children.” This was agreed upon by Shadi Amin, who said: “Although I initially thought that boarding schools could be a good solution for education, my experience with cartoons and some of the stories I heard made me reconsider and back away from this idea.”
Other opinions reflected practical or personal concerns about boarding schools. Aisha Shaker expressed her complete rejection of the idea of boarding schools, noting that a child should grow up in a family environment, where parents play a crucial role in shaping his personality. She added that being away from the family for long periods of time could lead to the child losing the emotional support necessary for his psychological development.
She stated that the child’s presence at home with his family strengthens family ties and gives him the security necessary for his emotional and social growth.
On the other hand, there are opinions that support the idea of boarding schools, including the opinion of Aisha Al Marzouqi, who believed that boarding schools can provide a good educational environment, and the matter depends on choosing the appropriate school, which provides children with independence, and helps them to rely on themselves, and it also depends on its fees, and what it offers in terms of class and extracurricular activities, and sports.
Mohammed Ibrahim said, “Boarding schools help develop a child’s personality and enhance their independence. Experiences vary between children, but I see it as a good opportunity to prepare them to face life in a more mature way.”
