Having a businessman as a grandfather, Madam Sharifah Zahra has had the experience of living in a shop-house. It was located opposite Jalan Sultan. However, several years later, her family moved to a bigger house at Lorong 37 Geylang, only a distance away from her grandparent’s. She first studied at Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah, a mixed school. The school used to offer only Malay and Arabic subjects for primary level education. Having to attend the Madrasah, conversing in Arabic was compulsory for students to ensure their fluency in it. Her education started from primary One to Five before she switched to Madrasah Al-Maarif Al-Islamiah. Madam Zahra entered Madrasah Al-Maarif, which was a renovated building in Ipoh Lane. She did not only need to adapt herself in an all-girls school, at the same time she needed to learn a new language, which is English. Learning a new language at such short notice was not easy. Her strong determination and perseverance helped her overcome the difficulty. When asked what she did to expand her word bank and improve her grammar, she replied, “Read”. Her passion for reading finally urged her close friends and herself to open a school library. Library cards made out of “vanguard” paper were given to students who wished to borrow books from the library. Madam Zahra was indeed a bookworm who had a deep passion for reading. She would regularly borrow books from one of her close friend, Madam Hajbee. Reading series like “Secret Seven”, “Famous Five”, “Enid Blyton”, as well as her Ustaz Kamil Suhaimi's Encyclopedia, which was her all-time favourite, was proof of that. She was not just an avid reader. She was also an active student, participating in numerous quiz challenges in "Harapan", a magazine produced by the Ministry of Education. She would always emerged champion or the runners-up in its quiz competition. The prize-giving ceremony would usually take place in Madrasah Al-Maarif since its students always excel in the competition. Madam Zahra was a class monitor, diligently helping her teachers in their administrative work. The lack of facilities and amenities of the then Madrasah Al-Maarif did not hinder Madam Zahra and the other students. With classes divided by wooden partitions, it took enormous effort for Madam Zahra and her friends to pay full attention to their teachers. Madam Zahra was the third batch of students to sit for their GCE O Level examinations. Despite the fact that most of the teachers were former graduates of Madrasah Al-Maarif, they succeeded in providing the groundwork and environment for Madam Zahra and the other students to excel in their studies. Some of the methods of training the students were by conducting spontaneous eloquent talk during the morning assembly and encouraging them to participate in debates and quizzes. Trips and excursions were organised too. Her English teacher, Miss Tham, once brought them to the Jurong Bird Park. These efforts helped improve their language skill and increase their general knowledge, boosting their self-confidence at the same time. There was strong bonding with her close friends, forming a clique called the “Smashing Six”. Every Hari Raya, they would gather at a studio to have a photo-shoot of themselves in their festive clothing, with suitable clothing theme that they came up with. Without any doubt too, they would spent time together playing at the school’s sandy field during recess. At the end of the day, Madrasah Al-Maarif had not just been a starting point of Madam Zahra’s challenging learning journey and career, it was also where memorable and unforgettable memories that only she cherished, were gained.
