London to open UK’s first Hindu school

Chaitra Krushna Shashthi

By: Matt Cresswell.
 
London will open the UK’s first Hindu primary school this autumn. The Krishna-Avanti primary school will encourage pupils to practise yoga, meditate and study sacred Hindu texts. Based in Harrow, north London, it will start under the auspices of Little Stanmore First and Middle School before, in a year’s time, moving into a new purpose-built school complete with temple, a meditation garden and vegetable plantations.
 
The site is already set and the plans are with Harrow Council. The founders of the Krishna-Avanti primary school say that such a school was needed to reflect the large Hindu population of Britain. The school will welcome Hindus of all traditions and backgrounds and, if under-subscribed, will welcome non-Hindus.
 
Head Teacher Naina Parmar says the school will be a fun and positive environment for children to learn in. “We aim to create an effective, calm and happy learning environment where the vision and mission statements are ‘lived’ by combining the wisdom of Vedic teachings and exemplary professional practice,” she says. “We recognise and take our duty seriously, in ensuring that we promote community cohesion, inclusion and value intercultural and religious diversity.”
 
A typical day would include practising Hindu-style prayers and meditation, attending lessons, practising yoga, learning about the environment and studying the Bhagavad Gita text. The burning of incense is also expected to complement the environment. Describing their style of prayer and worship, Ms Parmar said: “We want to adopt prayers that will be open but if the main deities are Krishna and Balarama then we will try to incorporate them.” 
 
She added: “We want to encourage a kinesthetic type of worship because it would be very unfair to expect a four-year-old to sit still for six minutes. Part of it may be sitting down, part of it may be standing up and chanting and using your hands.” The school is promoted by the Hindu charity, the I-Foundation, and will be a voluntary aided state school.
 
Ben Rich, public relations officer for the new school, explained the school’s impetus and origins. “The drive came from within the Hindu community. There was a sense that there was the choice of a faith education for all the other mainstream faiths in the UK. For example, there are Sikh schools, Jewish schools, Muslim schools, there is also a Christian Scientist school in the UK, but here you have 1.5 million Hindus and there was no choice of a Hindu school for them. 
 
“Many Hindu parents are clearly very happy with the schools that they’ve got but for some there was a desire to create a school and the demand we’ve got, even at this stage, suggests that there will be demand for this school as well.” He added: “With more than 5,000 faith schools in the UK it made sense to have at least one school reflecting the third largest religious community in the country.”
 
Translated, the school’s name means ‘Krishna’s Avanti’ reflecting the Hindu belief that Krishna went to school at a place called Avanti. Currently, the Harrow-based Hindu school is the first in the UK, but others have been discussed and a possible school is planned for Leicester. 

Source: americanchronicle.com

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