Sikh Studies at the new The British Sikh School, Wolverhampton
Sarbjit Kaur ecstatically writes to us at SikhNet about her experience when she attended one of the 'open days' meet at TBSS (The British Sikh School) opening in Wolverhampton. Her enthusiasm is contagious and SikhNet is pleased to present her views to the Sangat.
I want to share with you an enterprise that excites me personally. And after your thoughts meander between my words, I am sure you will be just as enthused.
From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow
~ Aeschylus
I can only write about this project from an angle of enthusiasm. Any other way would not do it justice. Perhaps you have already heard about The British Sikh School opening in Wolverhampton in September 2015. The school is a secondary school for both boys and girls and is a member of the Khalsa Academy Trust. The school’s ethos embodies values of egalitarianism (equality for all) to it's very core and its foundations are based on quality education and excellence.
Meeting the team in November at one of their open days and observing the one to one discussions, it was easy to see that Every Child and indeed Every Family mattered. As an educator myself and working with various different communities for over 10 years now, I know for certain that the right education, teaching and environment does make a difference. Most things start off with a tiny seed, whether that is a sketch a word or an embryo. How they grow and manifest into their fullness depends on the richness of the nourishment and the support they receive. A sketch becomes a sculpture, a word a monologue and an embryo a leader.
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| The British Sikh School with Pete Richmond(standing), Nick Kandola, Manoher Singh, Palwinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh Chaggar. |
Even the concept of this school started as an idea in the mind of Ajinder Kaur. Who’s vision is that every child will be supported to reach their full potential and gain the confidence to pursue their dreams, regardless of religion, class or ethnic background. This could be to excel in becoming an Engineer, Lawyer, Poet or Astronaut. The British Sikh School's (TBSS) moto is “success is for everyone”.
The school offers an astounding array of extra curriculum as part of their Enrichment programme. Activities include horse riding, archery, martial arts and learning to play tabla and the violin. Languages including Punjabi and Spanish will be available as a GCSE option. Children can also choose to engage in Sikh Studies. If I have children some day, I would, without hesitation, send them to this school.
The word Sikh can be traced to the Pali word sikkha or the Sankrit shishya.
The words mean learner or disciple. According to TBSS website their ethos stems from this seed. And what is budding is a school that envelopes both British and Sikh values to cultivate a “ more integrated Britain”. The team behind the school itself includes a multicultural attitude with having a mixture of people from various backgrounds. Each dedicated to facilitating the blossoming of this incredible educational establishment.
Abraham Maslow (American Psychologist, who also shaped the way people approached education) states that in order for a human being to reach what he deems Self – Actualisation – the full potential of all we can be, our basic needs have to be met. This includes having a stimulating and encouraging environment. Meeting and speaking to both Ajinder Kaur (founder) and Manoher Singh (co-founder) , the school will offer a high standard of teaching, where the staff will be committed to the student’s well-being as well as their various educational needs. Learners will be supported to develop the skills and knowledge so they can grow to become Self-Actualised, self-realised, self-aware and become all that they themselves want to become.
The British Sikh School is now open for submission into year 7.
Details and contact of the school:
Tel: 07772175310
Email: [email protected]
http://www.thebritishsikhschool.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-British-Sikh-School/194411660733439
Sikh Studies at The British Sikh School, Wolverhampton ~
(Courtesy of Co-founder, Manoher Singh ~ [email protected] )
Sikh Studies will be offered to all learners as an optional academic programme of study during extended school hours.
The Sikh Studies Programme will include: history (Sikh ithias) philosophy (Gurmat vichar) and music (Gurmat sangeet). The purpose of this programme is to allow Sikh and non-Sikh learners to explore the Sikh tradition, its teachings and practices, to highlight both the secular and the non-secular strands of the Sikh tradition and to explore how ethics is an integral part of our private and public lives.
An integral component of the Sikh Studies Programme will be the study of Punjabi language and literature in religious, secular, contemporary and historical contexts. This will allow Learners to engage with Sikh scriptures (Guru Granth Sahib) and access Punjabi literature and music in an operational and meaningful way.
Sikhs have an ethical code of conduct that includes a daily routine of meditation, music and mind-full action (nitnem). We hope to make this code of conduct relevant to young British Sikhs by exploring Sikh praxis within a British context.
Through the Sikh studies programme learners will gain qualifications in GCSE and AS/A2 Religious Studies with a Sikhism component. GCSE, AS/A2 Punjabi will be offered as part of the languages programme at The British Sikh School. We are also hoping to develop recognised certification in Sikh Musicology (Keertan) along the lines of the current grading system for Western musical instruments.
Provision for Non-Sikh Learners
To fall in line with our inclusive ethos and our founding principle of ‘success and well being for all’, Religious Studies lessons at KS3 will cover all of the world religions so that our learners value and understand each other’s beliefs and practices. We will also work with local religious organisations to offer programmes of study for learners of different faiths and provide provision for them to participate in services and acts of worship.
