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A leap of faith in England

LONDON: Britain’s first state-funded Hindu faith school, the Krishna-Avanti Primary School, was launched in Harrow, northwest London, on Monday even as a group of secular campaigners voiced concern over the proliferation of faith schools which they believe are “divisive.”

Naina Parmar, head teacher, sought to assure critics saying that Hinduism was a “very inclusive faith” and the school would reflect that ethos.

Describing the school as a “huge step forward for Britain’s one million Hindus,” Ms. Parmar said it would combine the “best of education in Harrow and with Hindu teachings.”

She added: “I want our school to be a haven of peace. Hinduism is a very inclusive faith which naturally promotes a calm, caring and cooperative learning environment. This will be reflected not only in the curriculum — which will include prayer, yoga and meditation alongside all the usual mainstream subjects — but also in the school’s ethos and environment. I am determined that we will be concerned not just with achieving excellent results, but also developing the whole child, including through integration with the wider community.”

The school, which opened in temporary classrooms with a first batch of 30 pupils of 5-11 age group, will move to its permanent home — a state-of-the-art complex being built at a cost of £10 million — next year.

Anjana Patel, the Harrow Council’s portfolio holder for schools and children’s development, said Harrow was one of the most culturally diverse boroughs, with Hindus forming the second largest religious group. “It is therefore right that parents of every faith should be given equal opportunity with respect to the education of their children,” she said.

Ramesh Kallidai, secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said that now like other communities Hindus would have a choice to send their children to a school based on their faith.

There are several thousand state-funded schools — mostly Christian and a few Muslim and Jewish — across England and the Hindu community had been demanding one for a long time.

Welcoming the newest faith school, Jon Benjamin, chief executive, Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “An undertaking like this involves a steep learning curve and we are pleased to offer any assistance we can to the new school, drawing on our own experiences of achieving success in this vibrant sector.”

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