MAKKAH: A Saudi woman has proven the old adage “better late than never” by going back to school — at the age of 110.
Nawda Al-Qahtani returned to her studies with the help of Al-Rahwa Center in the Umwah governorate in the Kingdom’s southwest.
The mother-of-four — her oldest child is 80 and the youngest is in his 50s — told Arab News that learning to read and write has transformed her life.
Since joining an illiteracy eradication program at the center several weeks ago, she has attended school every day along with more than 50 others.
The students of all ages are taught the basics of the alphabet and some verses of the Qur’an.
Al-Qahtani said she enjoys the lessons and makes sure she completes her homework by the end of each day.
The Ministry of Education's branch in Bisha shared a post on X about Al-Qahtani in which the 110-year-old expresses her gratitude toward the Kingdom’s leaders for their efforts to eradicate illiteracy.
Contemplating a return to study “was a difficult matter, especially for someone over 100 years of age,” she told Arab News.
However, she said the move was long overdue and she should have completed her schooling many years ago.
Al-Qahtani expressed regret over the years that have passed without improving her education, adding that it “certainly would have changed a lot in my life and the lives of others.”
The delay was not due to an individual issue in her life, she said, but was common for hundreds of girls from the region’s rural areas and villages, who were unable to complete their studies because of the geographical isolation.
Al-Qahtani’s four children support her studies and are optimistic about the new development in her life. They also believe that it is long overdue, but was delayed by God’s will.
Her 60-year-old son Mohammed told Arab News that he takes his mother to the center every morning and waits for her at the end of classes.
He is happy and proud that she is learning something new every day.
“We certainly know that this matter is not easy for our mother, who is over 110 years old. But it is a step that makes all members of the family feel proud.
“We really wish we could go back in time to provide her with the best educational services.”
The governorate has only one high school for girls, which puts it under huge pressure, he said.
Al-Qahtani added that he hopes the authorities will establish more schools for public education so that others can become literate and complete their education.
The country’s leaders are keen to combat and eliminate illiteracy in all regions of the Kingdom, he added.
“We would like our governorate to be completely free of illiteracy. Everyone must join hands to eliminate illiteracy so as to obtain a distinctive formal education that serves our sons and daughters alike and helps them obtain good job opportunities in the future.”
