Sikh Pupil Excluded Over Bangle

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

LIKELY TO BE NATIONAL NEWS IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO . . .

PLEASE LISTEN ON RADIO, LOOK AT NEWSPAPERS, WEB SITES AND MAKE APPROPRIATE CONTRIBUTIONS.

WILL BE ON BBC RADIO WALES AT AROUND 8.30AM TO DISCUSS THIS ON WEDNESDAY 7 NOVEMBER

GOOD MORNING WALES FROM 6-9AM

[buddasingh]

EXPOSING THE RACIST HYPOCRISY…

No religious symbols. No karas even! Sounds like they mean business.

The school will have to suspend children who insist on using the following Christian names or derivatives (this is the very short list). Who is the brave reporter that will be taking the school to task on this point? French Schools are you listening?

Biblical Boys names

Aaron Light-bringer

Adam Red earth

Adriel My shepherd is God

Andrew Manly

Benjamin Son of the right hand

Caleb Whole-hearted

Christian A follower of Christ

Clement Merciful

Daniel My judge is God

David Beloved

Eli My God

Elijah My God is Yah(weh)

Elisha My God is salvation

Ethan Strength

Gabriel Man of God

Isaac He shall laugh

Isaiah Yah(weh) is salvation

Jacob Heel-catcher

Jadon He will judge

James One who supplants

Jared One who descends

Jason Yah(weh) is salvation (Greek form of Joshua)

Jesse Yah(weh) exists

Joel Yah(weh) is God

John God gave

Jonah A dove

Jordan The river where Jesus was baptized.

Joshua or Jehoshua Yah(weh) is salvation (Hebrew form of Jesus)

Joseph Yah(weh) gives increase

Levi Joined

Luke / Lucas / Lucius A light

Mark Warlike

Matthew (Mattithiah, Mattathias) Gift of Yah(weh)

Michael Who is like God?

Nathanael Given of God

Paul Small

Peter A stone

Phillip Lover of horses

Raphael God has healed

Samuel His name (is) of God

Seth (he is) Appointed

Simon or Simeon He who hears

Stephen A crown

Thomas A twin

Timon Honorable

Timotheus/Timothy Honoring God

Biblical Girl Names

Abi My father

Abigail The joy of her father

Adriel My shepherd is God

Amanah Steadfast

Anna She was gracious

Bernice Bear thou victory

Bethany House of unripe figs

Bethel House of God

Candace A sting

Chloe fruitful

Deborah A bee

Dinah One who judges

Elisabeth or Elizabeth God of the oath

Esther Star

Eunice Happy victory

Eve Life giver

Gabriella Feminine of Gabriel (man of God)

Hannah She was gracious

Jordan River where Jesus was baptized

Judith Of Judah

Leah Weary

Lucia/Lucille/Lucina A light

Lydia A standing pool

Martha Provoking

Mary / Miriam Stubborn

Michal A brook or streamlet

Naomi My delight

Phoebe Pure

Priscilla Little old woman

Rachel A female sheep (an ewe)

Rebekah or Rebecca Tied

Rhoda A rose

Ruth Satisfied

Sarah Princess

Sharon Level

Susanna Lily

Tabitha Gazelle

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

LIKELY TO BE NATIONAL NEWS IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO . . .

PLEASE LISTEN ON RADIO, LOOK AT NEWSPAPERS, WEB SITES AND MAKE APPROPRIATE CONTRIBUTIONS.

Sikh schoolgirl excluded for wearing bangle

Alexandra Topping

Wednesday November 7, 2007

The Guardian

A teenager has been temporarily excluded from her school for refusing to remove a symbol of her faith.

Sarika Singh, 14, refused to take off her iron bangle worn by devout Sikhs as a reminder not to sin. The Aberdare Girls' school in south Wales excluded her for failing to accept its uniform guidelines and the rules of its governing body.

The school is known for its strict policy on uniform and does not allow students to wear any religious symbols such as the Muslim headscarf or Christian cross.

The girl's family have said they intend to contest the decision and may take legal advice. Her mother, Sinita Singh, said she had argued her daughter's case in a meeting with the governing body, but had been unsuccessful. She said of the iron bangle: "It is not jewellery - it is a symbol of our belief."

Sarika said her bangle was very important to her. "It constantly reminds me always to do good and not do anything bad, especially with the hands," she told the Wales Today TV news.

The bangle, or Kara, is one of five symbols of the Sikh religion, known as the Panj Kakaars or five Ks, which are worn at all times by devout followers. The iron bangle acts as a visual reminder not to commit sins and is the final thing Sikhs would look on before committing a sin with their hands.

The dispute is the latest in a series of rows over the wearing of religious symbols in schools.

Last year, Shabina Begum, a 15-year-old Muslim, lost her battle to wear a jilbab, a long loose gown, in class. Earlier this year, a 12-year-old, who cannot be named, similarly failed to gain the right to wear a full-face veil at a Buckinghamshire girls' school. In June this year Lydia Playfoot, 16, lost her high court battle to be allowed to wear a Christian "purity" ring as a symbol of her chastity.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

LIKELY TO BE NATIONAL NEWS IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO . . .

PLEASE LISTEN ON RADIO, LOOK AT NEWSPAPERS, WEB SITES AND MAKE APPROPRIATE CONTRIBUTIONS.

British school sends Sikh girl home for wearing a Kara

Posted November 7th, 2007 by Sahil Nagpal

London, Nov 7 : A Sikh teenager has been sent back from her school for wearing a Kara (steel bracelet), one of the religious symbols which reminds a Sikh of his or her bondage to the Guru.

Sarika Singh (14) refused to remove her Kara because she felt that it is "a constant reminder to her to do good".

She was first refused entry to the school on Monday, and then asked to leave her classes for a fixed period yesterday.

The school's governors rejected the girl's request to wear the bangle after examining the uniform policy and human rights legislation in detail.

"It's very important to me, it constantly reminds me to do good and not to do bad, especially with my hands," Sarika said.

A spokesman for the Aberdare Girls School in South Wales confirmed that a student had been temporarily excluded for failing to accept the governors ruling.

The school has a strict uniform policy that prevents pupils from wearing any kind of religious symbol.

Muslim girls are not allowed to wear headscarves at the school, and all pupils are prevented from openly displaying their faith.

Despite the rules, Sarika's mother Sinita said that the family is seeking legal advice to challenge the decision.

Singh said her daughter would happily remove the bangle for wood, metalwork and gym classes, for safety reasons, but Sinita wants Sarika to be allowed to wear the Kara at other times.

The Daily Mail quoted Sinita as saying that local politicians and the Sikh Federation have backed her calls.

Earlier this week, Singh had a meeting with the school and argued her daughter's case with the board of governors, but they refused to allow her to wear the bangle.

"It's not jewellery, it's part of our faith and symbol of our belief. We feel very strongly that Sarika has a right to manifest her religion - she's not asking for anything big and flashy, she's not making a big fuss, she just wants a reminder of her religion," Sinita said.

The Kara is one of the five essential symbols of Sikhism, known as the Panj Kakaars, or five Ks, which are worn at all times by devout Sikhs.

Kara means a link. It is a special steel bracelet, which is worn on the wrist of the right hand. The Kara is the Guru's own symbolic ring to all his Sikhs signifying their unbreakable link with the Guru as well as among themselves.

The circle is also a symbol of controlling feelings and practice as well as a constant reminder to the Sikh of complete behaviour in the event of weakness. (ANI)

[Harmeet_Singh]

a comprehensive school is another name for a state school run by the governmentt

[Amrit Kaur Khalsa]

Chastity rings aren't compulsary for Christians, but for Karas are compulsary for Sikhs. There's a difference (tho maybe not very big) - many schools don't realise this. Still, Muslims should be able to wear headscarves, Christians their rings and crosses and sikhs their five k's.

Correct me if I'm wrong

[Revolutionary]

Alarm bells ringing in my mind:

Amritdhari/Non Amritdhari

which leads to... Compulsory/Not compulsory (Respectively)

Kara/No Kara in some classes/No Kirpan on plane

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[guptsinghni]

going back about the school been state owned or not..

im very shocked that a state school is this strict..

even private schools allow you to wear a kara,

infact they allow their sikh students to wear all their 5k's and really have no issue about patka,keshi or dastaar either..

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

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Teen challenges school ban on Sikh bangle

Nov 7 2007 by Martin Shipton, Western Mail

A 14-YEAR-OLD Sikh girl is to mount a High Court challenge after her school barred her for wearing a religious wrist bangle.

Sarika Watkins-Singh was sent home by Aberdare Girls’ School on Monday after refusing to remove her silver Kara bangle, one of the five symbols of Sikh identity.

According to the school, wearing the Kara is against regulations because it is a piece of jewellery. But Sarika, of Cwmbach, near Aberdare, maintains her human rights are being infringed.

Her mother, Sanita Watkins-Singh, told the Western Mail, “Sarika made her first visit to India in 2005, looking at her cultural background and her roots. I don’t believe in putting pressure on children to follow a certain religion, but Sarika decided for herself that she wanted to be a practising Sikh.

“Her views have crystallised over the last six months, and she started wearing the Kara. At first it didn’t seem to be a problem, but then a PE teacher asked her to remove it.

“Later, after she refused to remove it in class, she was isolated from the rest of the girls. Then this week she was sent home.”

Sarika herself said, “We went to quite a lot of places during my visit to India, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which was just amazing. I became very interested in Sikh history and was inspired to follow the religion.

“The Kara is a very important Sikh symbol and a constant reminder to me to do good, and that God is One. I am very disappointed that my school does not recognise my right to wear the Kara. I did not like being put into isolation, which to me was like a prison. I feel my education was suffering.

“On Monday I was sent home for the day, and now I have been told I will be excluded for a fixed period. We are waiting for a letter saying how long that will be.

“It is very unfair that I am not being allowed to follow my religion, and I want to challenge the decision.”

Sarika is being backed by the Valleys Race Equality Council (Valrec), whose director is former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies.

Mr Davies said, “We are supporting Sarika, and believe the school is acting unlawfully by refusing to let her wear the bangle.

“We have arranged for her to be represented by a solicitor and an application will be made to the High Court for a judicial review of the school’s decision. We believe the school is acting in contravention both of the 1976 Race Relations Act and of human rights legislation.

“We also believe there is a need for the guidance on these issues to schools from the Welsh Assembly Government to be more explicit.”

Advice given to Valrec by the Equality and Human Rights Commission says, “Legal precedence has previously been set which clearly recognises Sikhs as a racial group for the purpose of the Race Relations Act. Therefore, the school should consider carefully their actions in relation to this case.

“The wearing of a Kara bangle is a significant expression of faith. Although some issues can be taken into consideration such as health and safety, the school would be expected to be proportionate in its response to the requirement to wear a Kara bangle. For example, the school could require the bangle to be covered or removed during PE. However, it would find it more difficult to justify this requirement where the student is sitting at her desk in the classroom.”

In a legal precedent dating back to 1983, the House of Lords decided a school had acted unlawfully by refusing to accept as a pupil who Sikh boy who wore a turban. The judgment held that Sikhs were a racial group within the terms of the Race Relations Act, and were capable of being discriminated against.

Jane Rosser, head teacher of Aberdare Girls’ School, said, “We have a strict and clear code of conduct that has been in place for many years.

“A copy is given to all girls before they are even a pupil at the school and is also issued at the start of every new term in September. We use this established code of conduct to ensure equality between all pupils.

“The code clearly states the only two forms of jewellery that girls are allowed to wear in school is a wrist watch and one pair of plain metal stud earrings.”

Ian Blake is chair of the school’s governing body which considered a complaint and a subsequent appeal from the girl’s family after she was told she could not wear the Kara bangle to school.

He said, “The code of conduct clearly states what jewellery is permitted and this code is made clear to pupils not only before they join the school, but at the start of every new term thereafter.

“We continue to monitor and review the code of conduct to ensure it continues to reflect the diverse population of our school and its surrounding community, of which we are rightly proud.

“However, the fact remains the code has to be upheld and we made our decision only after a significant period of research into previous cases across the UK, interrogation of the law, including Human Rights and race relations legislation and seeking legal guidance from the Local Education Authority. We remain committed to resolving this issue for the benefit of the school and its pupils.”

Mike Keating, director of Education and Lifelong Learning at Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said, “Each of our governing bodies have delegated powers, granted to them by Government, that define the responsibility of the governing body to make such decisions.

“The decision was only made after a prolonged process of checking the law, guidelines and the legal position. Due to the announced legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further on this particular case, but it must be stressed that we are proud of the diverse population of this county and continue to work to ensure equality for all.”

‘I am very disappointed that my school does not recognise my right to wear the Kara’

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Sikh pupil excluded over bangle

A 14-year-old girl has been excluded from a school in south Wales for wearing a Sikh bangle, or Kara.

Sarika Singh refused to take off the religious symbol because it is "a constant reminder to do good".

Aberdare Girls School said it has temporarily excluded a pupil for refusing to accept a governors' ruling.

Sarika's mother Sinita said she would challenge the decision. The uniform policy does not allow pupils to wear any kind of religious symbols.

Mrs Singh said she has the support of several local politicians and the Sikh Federation and is taking legal advice.

She said the teenager would remove the bangle for gym classes, or wood and metalwork, for safety reasons.

Mrs Singh said: "It's not jewellery, it's part of our faith and symbol of our belief."

She said they had a meeting with the school and argued the case with the board of governors, but they refused to allow her to wear it.

"We feel very strongly that Sarika has a right to manifest her religion - she's not asking for anything big and flashy, she's not making a big fuss, she just wants a reminder of her religion."

On Monday Sarika was excluded for a day and on Tuesday her mother said she was told she had been excluded for a fixed period.

Sarika said of wearing the bangle: "It's very important to me, it constantly reminds me to do good and not to do bad, especially with my hands."

Her mother said the Sikh Federation had supported them and she would do "whatever it takes".

The school has confirmed that "a pupil has been temporarily excluded for refusing to accept the decision of the governing body".

The governors rejected the girl's request to wear the bangle after examining the uniform policy and human rights legislation in detail.

Pupils are not allowed to wear any kind of religious symbols.

The school is known to have a strict uniform policy.

Muslim girls, for example, do not wear headscarves and pupils are not allowed to wear any kind of religious symbols.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/wale...ast/7081573.stm

Published: 2007/11/06 16:56:06 GMT

Updated article on the BBC News web site:

Sikh pupil excluded over bangle

A 14-year-old girl has been excluded from a school in south Wales for wearing a Sikh bangle, or Kara.

Sarika Singh refused to take off the religious symbol because it is "a constant reminder to do good".

Aberdare Girls School said it has temporarily excluded a pupil for refusing to accept a governors' ruling.

Sarika's mother Sinita said she would challenge the decision. The uniform policy does not allow pupils to wear any kind of religious symbols.

Mrs Singh said she has the support of several local politicians and the Sikh Federation and is taking legal advice.

She said the teenager would remove the bangle for gym classes, or wood and metalwork, for safety reasons.

Mrs Singh said: "It's not jewellery, it's part of our faith and symbol of our belief."

She said they had a meeting with the school and argued the case with the board of governors, but they refused to allow her to wear it.

"We feel very strongly that Sarika has a right to manifest her religion - she's not asking for anything big and flashy, she's not making a big fuss, she just wants a reminder of her religion."

On Monday Sarika was excluded for a day and on Tuesday her mother said she was told she had been excluded for a fixed period.

Sarika said of wearing the bangle: "It's very important to me, it constantly reminds me to do good and not to do bad, especially with my hands."

Her mother said the Sikh Federation had supported them and she would do "whatever it takes".

The school has confirmed that "a pupil has been temporarily excluded for refusing to accept the decision of the governing body".

The governors rejected the girl's request to wear the bangle after a "significant period of research" examining the uniform policy and human rights legislation in detail.

Jane Rosser, headteacher, said: "We have a strict and clear code of conduct that has been in place for many years.

"A copy of the code of conduct is given to all girls before they are even a pupil at the school and is also issued at the start of every new term in September.

"We use this established code of conduct to ensure equality between all pupils.

"The code clearly states the only two forms of jewellery that girls are allowed to wear in school is a wrist watch and one pair of plain metal stud earrings."

What is your reaction to this story? Should religious symbols be banned from schools? Send us your views and experiences.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/wale...ast/7081573.stm