Khalsa Schools

[Golee Maro]

w a h e g u r u

i hear in the uk theres an apparent sweep of Gurdwaras up and down the country wanting to open up Khalsa schools? I think this is wrong.

Why, when we campaign for a multi-cultural, tolerant nation, do we then want to seperate ourselves from the communities?

I know its been tried and tested around Canada but they are not brilliant there.

Im not for this split from society in such a way. Id want my kids to go to a mixed school - public or private - but mixed. And i wouldnt want to be brought up in an all-Sikh school. Im glad i got to experience other cultures, and be friends with people from other faiths and religions such as Xianity, Islam, Hinduism and so forth. Its made me stronger as a person.

Maybe im wrong though, so please forgive me if i am. Please help me to understand this move.

I understand that Sikhi parchaar will be done and will be encouraging a Sikh rehat, but this should be done at home anyway with the parents.

[Guest Bass Singh]

VJKK VJKF!

I AGREE WITH GOLLEE MAROO JI 100%, ID RATHER YOUNG KIDS ACTUALLY GROW UP WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS OF PEOPLE AND CULTUREEE!!

ALSO IF THERE IS ENOUGH MONEY TO MAKE KHALSA SCHOOLS, WOULDNT IT BETTER TO INVEST THAT MONEY IN EDUCATION FOR THE YOUNG AND ALSO TO OTHER COMMUNITIES ABOUT SIKHII!!

FORGIVE ME FOR MY MISTAKES

VJKK VJKF!

[Guest PRITAM SINGH KHALSA]

I put yes but there should have been a "maybI think there should be Khalsa school but if anyothers actually wanted to then they could but who would from another religion want their kids to learn from Sikhs. Sikhs go to catholic and christian schools.

[Bhajanpreet]

I totally disagree; grow up with people of their other cultures?? From what I've seen so far, that doesn't work because they grow up withOUT their own culture. I think I'm with Pritam Singh on this one; other people can join if they want, but it should be a Sikh school. Look at Baru Sahib and the great Sikh kids they're bringing up! It would be a great achivement for our religion. Also, if you want to argue that htey won't learn about other cultures... look at people that are home schooled. They do have friends/a life. They don't go to school with ANYBODY and they still get in with other cultures. School isn't the only way for kids to interact. And what's wrong with kids interacting with only their own culture? Kids in India don't go to school with French, Spanish, German, British, etc, did they? Maybe that was a bad example, but I'm just pointing out: US is the "melting pot" so we believe that we should learn about everybody, right? But in fact many people say that being "diverse" isn't so good... look at all the bad things that happen because people don't like other people that are "diverse" from them.

The thing with the Sikh schoool and Christian school though... they wouldn't really be the same, because Christians DO come from many different backgrounds, and most Sikhs tend to be Indian.

[Lionchild]

Khalsa schools are for all cultures, not just indian - let's get that out of the way.

IMHO:

think setting up these "khalsa schools" has mixed results. while the students will learn their religion along side regular studies, they also will be able to get to know their community more often and contribute to it. I have been to the khalsa school in surrey, and it appears to be a very tigh knit community and has a very good standard of education.

the drawback? like what Golee Maro mentioned, there is the concern of seperation and being cut off from the rest of society. The problem about being so deep or close to just one culture (90% of sikhs in the khalsa schools come form indian background) is that when it comes time to go into the rest of society, they will be little prepared to face the challenges of college and even high schools (the surrey one ends at grade 11). What i have been hearing is that many students have ended up cutting their hair, not wearing dastaar (among other things) because they are presured to fit in. Because their was no outside influences in the khalsa school, they students that come out of them are somewhat vulnerable to peer pressure.

Form what i know, most khalsa schools don't have programs that help students to manage outside pressure. If the khalsa schools, in there last year, could implament a program that teaches the students to keep strong in their faith and to also manage peer pressure, then the likelyness of the students falling away from sikhi later on would be reduced greatly.

Another minus is that often the khalsa schools are high priced and lower income families can't afford it - this only leaves one demographic in the schools. Even more seperation...

[Guest PRITAM SINGH KHALSA]

THEN THE kHALSA WHICH SHOULD BE CALLED SIKH SCHOOL{ NOT ALL ARE KHALSA} should go up to the 12th grade and then there should be a sikh college.

Young Sikhs get peer pressure anyway, in whatever grade or even years after school.Its up to them to be a strong Sikh. If maya looks beautiful in their eyes then that is the will of God.

Nuff said

[Lionchild]

THEN THE kHALSA WHICH SHOULD BE CALLED SIKH SCHOOL{ NOT ALL ARE KHALSA} should go up to the 12th grade and then there should be a sikh college.

Young Sikhs get peer pressure anyway, in whatever grade or even years after school.Its up to them to be a strong Sikh. If maya looks beautiful in their eyes then that is the will of God.

Nuff said

not nuff said, why don't you add something helpfull to the discussion than trying to just waste server space. That post was useless.

[Khalsa4ever]

Waheguroo jee ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo jee kee Fateh!

I'm kind of mixed. A khalsa school is a good idea, but to expect "a khalsa school, high school, college, etc." really segregates sikhs from the rest of society.

I've spent my entire life in the public school system, most often being the ONLY sikh in the school. And it was great! The best education, you can interact with others openly and freely, and never had any problems with my turban/dhari(when it came in).

Isolation isn't a good thing, because it makes people weaker when they enter the "real world".

Waheguroo jee ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo jee kee Fateh!

[S1ngh]

When my family came to united states, my parents decided to put me and my sister in some private school.. thinking that we will get better education as compared to the public school (as in india we went to christian prvt school etc etc). Pure rural area of Georgia state, we went to one private christian school and i was rejected because of my very very small beard and not from their faith. Pure Rubbish !

Greatly Thanks to waheguru for putting me up in high school where everybody from punk kid to teachers respect me soo much.. and im talking about town of 4000 with no sikh ever been to that town and yet i spent my high school like i am one of them. Those years helped me and taught me a lot about different people from different walks of life.

Khalsa schools are okay as they teach basic sikhi, but in my personal view i would never ever send my future generation to the private school which does not follow separation of religion and state.

[buddasingh]

good topic g maro

If we value diversity in public schools, then we should also value the diversity that would come from some Sikh kids going to Khalsa School and others going to public schools.

So much depends on what the school teaches and how it teaches kids to develop their identity and how it teaches kids to relate to various people. Keep in mind that public schools also have a strong group think of their own. Khalsa schools could make specific efforts toward joint ventures amongst students from other schools, exchange type programs for short periods with other schools etc. When it comes to learning, the sky’s the limit for ideas.

Khalsa school should strive to excel in developing ones own identity while respecting and being able to relate to others. In other words have kids in khalsa school MORE open minded and MORE exposed to diversity than those from public school. A khalsa school would be an amazing opportunity for truly open minded inspired instructors to teach kids to help others upward in this world while reaching for the stars themselves.