For the Bibi sisters, education is everything. Growing up in east London as the daughters of Bangladeshi immigrants, the importance of reading, writing and books was instilled in them from a young age. So much so, that all four sisters now work in education.
While Samina, Rumina and Yasmina all work in primary and nursery schools, the self-proclaimed “rebel”, Yamina, trained as a secondary school English teacher, and is now an assistant head at the “outstanding” Forest Gate community school in Newham.
We dialled into a video call with the sisters to find out where their passion for education comes from and why they’re proud to bring diversity to the classrooms they teach in.
Yamina (top) and Samina Bibi – the sisters’ love of books came from their parents
Samina Bibi (SB): I remember that Mum was adamant that we had to learn English. And both parents pushed us to make sure that we were successful. We came to this country when I was about six or seven and I would translate for them. So both of them realised how important the English language was.
Yamina Bibi (YB): It wasn’t just English though, our household was multilingual. We’d speak English at school, then come home and speak Bengali, and then be learning the Qur’an in Arabic.
SB: Mum used to read a lot as well, translations of the Qur’an, and folktales. She used to read and sing poems in Bengali too. And another thing she would do when we were living in Tower Hamlets was write letters for the local community to send to Bangladesh, because she could write in Bengali. So seeing that, her constantly writing, I think that’s where we got our love for books and reading.
Rumina Bibi (RB): I still remember when she would read the Bengali newspapers aloud, because Dad wasn’t able to read or write. Mum had completed her primary school, which at that time was very uncommon for those living in a village, particularly for girls. Despite their lack of education, our parents really believed that the only way to achieve a better life was through grafting hard and achieving good grades. They valued the English education system and teachers were revered in our household. They were also so proud to be British citizens, I’m sure everyone here agrees …
All, laughing: Oh yes, Dad!
Yamina Bibi: ‘We’d speak English at school, then come home and speak Bengali, and then be learning the Qur’an in Arabic’
YB: Yasmina and I were lucky, being a little bit younger, that our sisters led by example. They would take us to the library and I remember them saying: “We have to go [home] now,” and I was in the corner reading Matilda saying: “No I don’t want to go!” Learning and language were at the heart of everything we did. Honestly, it was beautiful. Despite their challenges, Mum and Dad knew reading and writing were the most powerful things that would change our lives, and they weren’t wrong, were they?
SB: We inherited that love of language from them. I did English at A-level ...
RB: I think we all did!
SB: Yes, this is an English literature family! Even now, as an early years educator, I try to instil that love in the children, which is really encouraged by my head and co-workers.
Yasmina Bibi (YSB): As the youngest, my first niece was born when I was, I think, 10 or 11 years old. And other nieces and nephews followed. That’s where my love of teaching and children came from.
YB: We love our nieces and nephews! We’ve been really lucky to have love in our household from day one. We never wanted for anything. I never thought, oh no we don’t have enough money. Because we had books and we had our family.
Yasmina Bibi: ‘I wanted to be able to represent my culture within the teaching field’
YSB: I had my sisters as role models growing up and they inspired me to become a primary school teacher. I also recognised that I lived in a multicultural society, and I knew that I wanted to be able to represent my culture within the teaching field. There’s such vibrancy and diversity in east London, and I want to build that passion across the year groups I teach. I also want to create individuals who are not just an inspiration in terms of leadership and learning, but who are moral citizens, making positive contributions to society.
YB: Yes, that’s really important for me too, especially as assistant headteacher in charge of English. I was the rebel in the family because I went for secondary rather than primary! But holding this role in an inner city London school, in one of the most deprived boroughs in the country, with high levels of people from diverse backgrounds including minority ethnic backgrounds – I know how powerful my role is in shaping change. Because, along with my colleagues, we’re the ones deciding the curriculum. I’ve been doing lots of research around how we diversify the curriculum. So it’s not just about slavery, or how Bangladeshi people are poor. It’s first about celebrating successes, celebrating the beauty of all these cultures and all the diversity that we have. And once we’ve done that, then let’s talk about social injustice and freedom of expression. I’ve become quite committed to that.
Rumina Bibi: ‘Teachers were revered in our household’
RB: When I was in school, I can’t remember being taught by a teacher of the same ethnic minority background, let alone female Bangladeshi teachers. Certainly no teachers who wore a headscarf, and there were no ethnic representations that we could relate to in school books.
YB: Yes, even when I went to teach in Lewisham in 2010 – that’s very recent – I was the only visibly Muslim, brown woman. It was a big deal. And I remember my parents saying: “Why would you go there when you can teach in Tower Hamlets where it’s more multicultural.” And I just thought, I want to try. Maybe that was where my rebellious side came in. I was a bit stubborn and quite passionate.
But when I started at that school, the first thing a child said to me was: “Oh look, it’s a ninja, she’s come to blow us up.” I don’t tell people about that much, because I was almost embarrassed and ashamed of it. But we used the opportunity to discuss and challenge it in class. It’s our job to create moral citizens so this was a chance for growth, even though it was painful at the time. And what I will never forget is that by the end of my time there, the kids and parents gave me flowers! They were so appreciative of the learning I had provided. That experience has made me even more committed to diversity and representation. And now, being a senior leader, I am in a better position to use my voice and my presence to challenge those kinds of biases.
By far, though, the best part of teaching and leading are the students and children. They are just wonderful, and all this work we’re doing around representation is for them. We didn’t have visible role models when we were younger, so now, we’ve become them.
In teaching every day is different, and so is every teacher. Discover 100 teachers across the country, shaping lives. And if you’d like to know how you can bring your individual passions to a job in teaching, head to Get Into Teaching to find out more.
