Abdul Aziz Al-Ghurbal

A Yemeni educator who established the first Arabic-language schools for girls in the Arabian Peninsula

Founding Educational Revolution

Abdul Aziz Al-Ghurbal (1895-1972) defied cultural norms by opening Yemen's first girls' school in Sana'a (1923) during a time when female literacy was under 2%. A former camel trader turned educator, he believed "knowledge is the camel that carries nations forward." His school network grew to 15 branches by 1935, teaching girls mathematics, science, and Arabic literature using his innovative story-based learning method.

Political Challenges

Al-Ghurbal faced violent opposition from tribal leaders who burned his first school. He famously responded, "You can burn buildings, but you cannot burn the human mind's desire to learn." His 1938 manifesto Education as Liberation became a foundational text for Yemeni women's rights. When Imam Yahya imprisoned him in 1940, his students organized a hunger strike that forced his release.

Legacy in Modern Yemen

Today, the Aziz Al-Ghurbal Educational Foundation operates 120 schools across Yemen. His 1950s teacher training program laid groundwork for the country's current female enrollment rates (now 45%). UNESCO honored him in 2010 as a "pioneer of gender equality in education." His writings, including The Educated Woman Builds Nations, are still used in teacher training programs.