Is it permissible for a male teacher to teach girls in elementary school, or the reverse?
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The questioner : In the elementary stage, the student’s age begins when he enters school at six years old, and he graduates at ten, meaning four years. Is it permissible during this elementary stage for women to teach instead of men?
The Shaykh : From age seven to ten?
The questioner : From six to ten, meaning he finishes kindergarten.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : At age six, from four to six a woman teaches him in kindergarten, from six to ten in the elementary stage... Is it permissible for women to teach him?
The Shaykh : The truth is that in this matter, it is necessary to seek the opinion of some of those who are called psychologists today, because we know that many boys or children develop sexual sensitivity before the age of ten. If it is the general case for these youths or boys that they become sensitive to sexual matters, then it is not permissible for us to raise the age limit to ten; rather, we must lower it to the age at which it is generally the case that the boy does not think about or have any sexual matters on his mind. In the books of Islamic jurisprudence, it is correct that they mention, regarding many rulings, for example, when a boy becomes accountable? Of course, when he reaches the age of accountability, when he reaches puberty, which naturally varies from person to person. But this accountability is different from the harms that may result from some boys who have not yet reached the age of accountability. For example, in the Noble Qur'an, if a child has not seen the private parts of women, it is permissible for him to enter where women are in their home clothes. But if he has knowledge and has seen the private parts of women and feels the desire there, even if he has not reached the age of accountability, it is not permissible for a woman to appear before him, and it is not permissible for the guardian of this boy to allow him to enter where the women are, even if he has not reached the age of accountability. Likewise here, if it is the general case for children that they feel something of sexual matters, it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to enter upon them. And the reverse is the case: if it is not the general case, then it is permissible. This is the rule in this matter.
The Shaykh : From age seven to ten?
The questioner : From six to ten, meaning he finishes kindergarten.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : At age six, from four to six a woman teaches him in kindergarten, from six to ten in the elementary stage... Is it permissible for women to teach him?
The Shaykh : The truth is that in this matter, it is necessary to seek the opinion of some of those who are called psychologists today, because we know that many boys or children develop sexual sensitivity before the age of ten. If it is the general case for these youths or boys that they become sensitive to sexual matters, then it is not permissible for us to raise the age limit to ten; rather, we must lower it to the age at which it is generally the case that the boy does not think about or have any sexual matters on his mind. In the books of Islamic jurisprudence, it is correct that they mention, regarding many rulings, for example, when a boy becomes accountable? Of course, when he reaches the age of accountability, when he reaches puberty, which naturally varies from person to person. But this accountability is different from the harms that may result from some boys who have not yet reached the age of accountability. For example, in the Noble Qur'an, if a child has not seen the private parts of women, it is permissible for him to enter where women are in their home clothes. But if he has knowledge and has seen the private parts of women and feels the desire there, even if he has not reached the age of accountability, it is not permissible for a woman to appear before him, and it is not permissible for the guardian of this boy to allow him to enter where the women are, even if he has not reached the age of accountability. Likewise here, if it is the general case for children that they feel something of sexual matters, it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to enter upon them. And the reverse is the case: if it is not the general case, then it is permissible. This is the rule in this matter.