Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments
I’ve only experienced coeducation in kindergarten and the first year of primary school. At eight years old, I moved to Kuantan, where I continued my studies at an all-girls school up to the secondary level. It was nice to grow up in an environment where everyone gets treated with equal responsibility and expectations. But the most fun came from the drama of being surrounded by hormonal teenage girls.
And, here’s what they don’t tell you about being in an all-girls school!
We have crushes on seniors, and sometimes, these seniors have crushes on us too.
It wouldn’t really be an all-girls school without lesbian relationships. Sometimes, however, these crushes are strictly platonic, in a very weird “please adopt me as your little sister” way. There was one time I got asked to be the kakak angkat to someone four years younger than me.
What’s weird about that situation was how romantic the whole ordeal felt; rejecting her felt like I was rejecting a potential suitor. Even the response I got for declining her was rough to deal with because I was told I’m a heartless person.
Still, it was common for the juniors to send “love letters” to their favourite seniors. The Interact Club in my school did a chocolate gifting service during Valentine’s Day, which was THE TIME for the younger ones to send chocolates to their senpais.
However, a year before I graduated from the secondary level, the religious teachers (Ustazah) protested the service as it could promote premarital relations and homosexuality.
Ironically, not all teachers would protest premarital relationships.
Male teachers will actually go on dates with their students.
In this day and age, people will be less likely to allow this to happen. But in 2015, we didn’t know what to do about it. While we know it was wrong, we tend to turn a blind eye and hope that a higher power would put an end to some of those relationships. Especially when the teacher is already married with kids.
I also remember this teacher tried getting one of my friends involved when the student had broken up with him – it was truly messed up.
He would complain about the girl to my friend and tried to get my friend to pujuk her so they could make up and reconcile.
Fortunately, my friend would not give him the time of day!
Fun fact! The toilets of an all-girls school have certainly seen it all.
Sure, we never had to see inappropriate graffiti on the walls or piss stains on the floor.
Still, I undoubtedly experienced the anxiety of walking in on someone being pleasured.
When I was 14 years old, I’d catch glimpses of two girls standing at the back of the front doors with their hands tucked into each other’s lower regions.
I’d learn to avert my gaze while pretending I couldn’t hear what was happening.
What’s hilarious about the situation is that the teachers were aware of what these sexually active teenage girls were doing in the toilet.
Sometimes, our morning assembly would even end with a warning from the teachers about the “angkat kain” business in the toilet.
In my school, we had a DAILY morning assembly (except Fridays being a bacaan Yassin day).
The teachers often use these hours to let students know their sins aren’t as private as they thought.
They would even refer to it as “aktivity angkat kain” in the toilet.
But that’s not the only dirty laundry these teachers love to air dry in our school hall. Once, a girl’s nude photos got leaked, and she was slut-shamed by our JPK Hen during assembly. In another instance, they found a pregnancy test in the toilet basin.
It’s fair to say my high school years were eventful.
Despite going through the chaos of it all, I believe that attending an all-girls school allowed me to experience what equality could have been like. It was nice to be given the responsibilities and independence that helped shape us into who we are today.
It makes me wonder if other students experienced it the same as I did. If you had it different, share your story with us!
Know anyone with an interesting story to share? Drop us an email at hello@inreallife.my, and we may feature the story!
For more stories like this, read:
Should You Study in Co-Ed or All Girls/All Boys Schools? Here’s What Malaysians Think
Malaysians Tell Us the Stupidest Things They’ve Done in High School
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