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Education: Hindus make a world of difference
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: Education: Hindus make a world of difference
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From: abdutta@icaen.uiowa.edu (jit)
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Date: 13 Dec 1994 18:48:26 GMT
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Distribution: world
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From news@icaen.uiowa.edu Tue Dec 13 13: 47:55 1994
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: Iowa Computer Aided Engineering Network, University of Iowa
This is from soc.culture.indian. Posted by S Pavithran.
The Independent
December 8, 1994, Thursday
SECTION: EDUCATION PAGE; Page 28
LENGTH: 815 words
HEADLINE: Education: Hindus make a world of difference; At the
Swaminarayan School in north-west London, showing tolerance and
respect for other cultures isjust as important as learning Gujarati.
Diana Hinds reports
BYLINE: DIANA HINDS
BODY:
A large, gaudy Christmas tree stands in the nursery class of the
Swaminarayan School in Neasden, north-west London, the first Hindu
independent school in this country. In the religious education room,
where pupils take off their shoes in the presence of the Divine and
sit on the floor at low desks, some of the older children are
rehearsing for the school's first nativity play.
Yet this is a denominational school where most of the pupils,
aged from two to 18, are Gujarati Hindus, and the remainder Sikhs or
Jains. But as its headteacher, Paul Hancock, points out, the idea of
tolerance and respect for others is central to Hindu culture. Although
Hinduism is the main focus of RE lessons (which take up 10 per cent of
the timetable), pupils study other world religions and celebrate
Christmas and Easter, as well as certain Jewish festivals. Two-thirds
of the teachers are non-Hindu.
''We went out of our way to introduce the children to as wide as
possible a cultural background through the teachers,'' says Dr Hancock,
who converted to Hinduism as a young man.
Founded in August 1992, the Swaminarayan School has 318 pupils, who
pay feesranging from pounds 700 to pounds 1,300 a term and travel from
all over London. Only a third of pupils are in the senior department,
with 12 currently taking A-levels, but it is hoped the school will grow
to 800.
The school was the brainchild of ''His Divine Holiness'' Pramukh
Swami Maharaj, Guru of the Swaminarayan sect, who, on his visits to
Britain from India, was alarmed by what he saw as moral decline in this
country.
An application for government funding was turned down, so the
Swaminarayan sect has heavily subsidised the school with donations from
affluent members of the Hindu community. The sect also operates a
thriving Sunday school in the area, attended by 600 Hindu children.
The Swaminarayan School teaches the national curriculum and, in
theory, is open to anyone from any background - although Dr Hancock
says: ''Obviously, in its early years we would target our own
community.'' As well as Hinduism, pupils study Gujarati and the Indian
performing arts, learning classical dance or instruments, such as the
tabla (Indian drums) or harmonium. Meals are vegetarian- with pizza
featuring alongside more traditional Indian fare - and each day
begins with a Sanskrit prayer.
Discipline is highly prized. In every corridor and classroom,
visitors and teachers are greeted by polite children in immaculate
maroon blazers who put their palms together and murmur ''Namaste''
(''May I bow to the god within you''). ''One of our chief aims is that
our children should be well behaved in asocial context,'' says Dr
Hancock. ''I like to think that they are tolerant and moderate.''
Piyush Amin, chairman of the all-Hindu governing body, believes
that being surrounded by fellow Hindus makes the pupils more relaxed,
less inhibited and more eager to learn.
''No one is saying, why do you pray to that god? - because we all
know.'' It also pleases their parents, he says. ''Many of them have
been too busy establishing themselves in this country to worry about
preserving their culture.But they feel they have missed out, and don't
want this to happen to their children.''
The school places great emphasis on academic achievement.
''Hinduism is verymuch a social code,'' says Dr Hancock. ''That enables
us to have more academic freedom.''
Phonics and number recognition begin in the nursery class. At four,
pupils start French and at seven, Spanish, as well as logic, philosophy
and Indian history. English, maths and science - which is taught in
large, well-equipped laboratories - are given priority throughout.
Girls and boys follow exactly the same curriculum, and the average class
size is 20. The range of sports - including cricket, hockey, netball and
football - offers pupils some opportunityfor meeting non-Hindus from
other schools.
It is too early as yet to measure the school's academic prowess: the
first A-level results are expected in 1995, and the first GCSEs in 1996.
But Bindiya, the eight-year-old head girl of the preparatory school, is
positive: ''I didn't learn reading at the school I went to before, but
when I came here I learnt how to read.'' Dekesh, the nine-year-old head
boy, says: ''At my old school there was a lot of bullying and fighting.
It's much better here.''
Sonal, 16, is taking English, history and art A-levels, and
A/S-level maths,and hopes to study graphic design at university.
''It's nice being with other Hindus - you can do things, like wear
traditional dance costume, without people making fun of you. One
disadvantage might be that when you get to university, if you are shy,
you might not mix verywell. So it's good I've been to another school,
and that not all the teachers here are Asians.''
(Photograph omitted)
--
An eye for an eye may save the other eye. -- anonymous
