Thursday, August 8, 2013

SIKH ACADEMY - learning about other cultures while not forgetting their own


Sikh Academy is  a private school located in Surrey teaching students - from Kindergarten to Grade 7 -  about embracing other cultures while ensuring they are knowledgeable about Sikhism. Coming from a different religious background, this surprises me as I'm only familiar with a few of the private Catholic/Christian schools in Greater Vancouver and didn't know about the Sikh Academy which was established in 2008. I think parents' sending their kids to a Sikh school is a great way for the latter to learn not only about cultural diversity (the school itself is a perfect example - READ: 50% of the school staff is Caucasian!!!), but also, more importantly, the equality of all people which is one of the basic beliefs of Sikhism - Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex are all equal in the eyes of God; Sikhism teaches the full equality of men and women.

Watch the news about Sikh Academy posted on BCIT Broadcast News website


Posted by at

1 comment:

  1. SupreetAugust 12, 2013 at 4:58 PM

    Thanks PAT for the information on Sikh Academy. I reside in Surrey and know many Sikh families who send their children to Sikh Academy & another Sikh school known as Khalsa School. The aim of these two institutions is to enlighten students' lives with moral and spiritual values. Besides learning, children in these schools preserve their religious and cultural roots.
    My nephew and niece are students at Khalsa School and both of them, despite of being born in Canada, can fluently speak and write in Punjabi and also do Kirtan - a way of singing hymns from the holy book of Sikhs.
    And yes, the staff at these schools comprises of not only Sikh instructors, but also Caucasian instructors who wear a "bandana" on their head as soon as they enter school premises. It is so because, they have Gurudwara at these schools where resides Sri Guru Granth Sahib - the holy book of Sikhs - and Sikh religion condemns from walking bare-headed into Gurudwaras.
    Not only in Surrey, but there is also a Khalsa School in Calgary, Edmonton, and Malton with an aim to serve Sikh communities in Canada.
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)