SIX CHILDREN AND A DEGREE!
(22 July 2005)

Having six children has not stopped 36-year old Nasreen Ali from obtaining a degree. She graduated this week from Bradford University with BA in Social Sciences and Humanities. Nasreen, from Keighley in West Yorkshire, eventually plans to go into social work. She said: “Mature mums like me need to get back into education. Knowledge is freedom, especially when you come from a culture where the man is the main breadwinner for the family.”

Nasreen’s mother died when she was 15-years-old, forcing her to leave school early and get a job without any GCSEs to her name. After marrying and having five children, she decided to go back into education after working as a benefit advisor in the Sangat Centre in Keighley.

She initially went to study a BTEC in Health and Social Care at Keighley College in 2000 but was hungry to cram as much learning in as possible and so took courses in English, Urdu and Counselling Studies along side it. Nasreen said: “I put a lot into my time at college as I was eager to learn as much as possible. I had to go back into education because I knew I was better than the job I was doing at the time.

“After I’d finished college, people said to me I needed a break and I should take a year out before starting university. I didn’t want to, even though I had to care for five children I just didn’t want to stop.”

Nasreen’s commitment to education was recognised by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) when she received a prestigious award for her achievements. She was presented with the Adult Learner of the Year award in May 2002 by Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe and Margaret Coleman, chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council for West Yorkshire at a special ceremony in Bradford.

As if having five children to take care of wasn’t enough – Nasreen became pregnant with her sixth child in the summer of 2003. She gave birth to a boy she named Haris during the Easter recess in April 2004 – right in the middle of writing essays and exam revision at the end of her second year of study.

“My family and my husband really helped me with the children. In fact, the only time I’ve had off in the last five years was when Haris was born. I think I’ll take a bit of time off now. Time to spend with my children and give my husband a break!”

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