It is not surprising that no girl was among the Malay schoolchildren when this group photo was taken. Female education had never seen much progress within the Malay community for both racial and religious reasons. Parents did not like the idea of their daughters mixing with other young boys in the village school, and they were wary of how a secular education could erode Islamic beliefs. Ultimately it was widely believed that a girl should remain home where she would help out with the domestic chores.
