Are faith schools a good idea?

Firstly I like you to kindly DEFINE the word Hinduism . Secondly Hinduism ( Sanatan Dharma / Brahminism ) is just 3500 years old not tens of thousands years , it starts with the arrival of Aryans from Persia ( Iran ) in about 1500 BC . The first book created by them was Rigveda which was transmitted orally until it was wriiten formally by Ved Vyasa who also wrote Mahabharata . What is the contribution of Brahminism to India , it just institutionalised the Varna system which caused untold misery in the form of slavery to Muslims for 800 years in which 80 million Indians were killed & 10 million girls , women & boys were sold in Kabul , Ghazni , Kandhar , Bahgdaad for as little as 25 paise each . This is the most inhuman ideology after Islam ( of course ) which institutionalises discrimination on the baisis of birth . Also most hilarious including false , mythological fairy tales which have no head or tail . Even today most of problems faced by India are due to the ill-effects of Brahminism . IMHO Buddhism , Jainism & above all Sikhism are the only three TRUE DHARMAS rest are merely expansionist ideologies like Christianity , Islam or eternally discriminating like Brahminism . If anybody wishes to have real NIRVANA he must go for either of the three ideologies namely Buddhism , Jainism , Sikhism . As Jainism & Buddhism have been all but assimilated in Brahminism , Sikhism is the only way for living emancipation for all the poor , downtrodden & Dalits of India .

 
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I studied in India in a Khalsa High School and in a Khalsa College. However, my middle school was a government school. Although there were religious education teachers in Khalsa school and college teaching in what were called divinity classes I did not learn much about Sikhism there. We were just asked to memorise the names of ten gurus, five banis and few other such things that coming from a deeply religious family I already knew. However, in the Khalsa College one thing that I inadvertently learned was to hate non-Sikhs (I thank Waheguru to be able to have soon overcome this). Whenever there used to be a hockey match between our college team and a local DAV College we would go in large numbers not so much to back up our team but to shout derogatory chants against the DAV College players. We would chant (during fifties) "Dhoti, topee, bodee karo Yamuna to paar" (send those wearing a Dhoti, wearing a cap, and a religious tuft of hair across river Yamuna). And DAV students would retort in reply, "Kainchee, Ustra karo tyaar (get the razor and scissors ready)
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/interfaith-dialogues/32222-are-faith-schools-a-good-idea.html

On the other hand, during my Govenrment Middle School I had a very gentle and loving Hindu teacher teaching Hindi and Sanskrit. I now appreciate knowledge of these two language that help me tremendously to understand Gurbani, particularly Dasam Granth almost all of which in Braj, a dialect of Hindi ( The Punajbi is not the dominant language of Gurbani - Hindi content keeps rising as we move from first Guruji to tenth). I do not imagine a Sikh school in the west realising our misplaced notion that Gurbani language is Punjabi and hence proclaiming that it would teach pupils Punjabi (and not other Gurbani languages)
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222

The experience and advantage of having learned non-mother tongue languages persuaded me to learn other languages such as Farsi and Arabic later when in University. This not only helped me to be able to communicate with Middle Eastern and Iranian persons but also be able to understand Zafarnama and Bhai Nand Lal's writings. Of course, I can understand the Quran as well.

I do not envisage any Khalsa School in the West would be courageous enough to break out of the typical Sikh tight-jacket to help children explore the beauty of entire diversity of His creation.

Rangi Rangi Bhati Kar Kar Jinsi Maya Jin Upaee (Japuji Sahib)

Humbly
Serjinder Singh

Serjinder ji

Thank you for the fallacy about the dominance of Punjabi in Sikh scripture and other important historical texts.

Things are not bad if organized properly.

Faith schools are a very good idea, but it is obserevd that the SIKH faith school does not employ a seperate qualified divinity-teacher . Either a local Granthy is hired for the ceremonies or one of the teachers do the time-pass.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222
I am impressed by the Akal Academy organization but they also lack the same . They believe that a music teacher is enough or the Granthy baba will do.
Art of teaching divinity also needs some qualification . It should not be taken lightly. Our children and youth are fed up with the traditional 'fairy tales'.
I believe that faith schools are here and they will prevail.Come, shed up the way of criticizm and doubts. Gurubani says that Sikhism is a GADI-RAH (TRUNK ROAD) . Why do we not speed-up ? We expect name and fame even in sewa. Satguru save THE FAITH.
Bhul chuk muaf krni ji. Guru Fateh

Considering, two aspect of the faith one idiology and other theology,there should be a balance between the two.Theology should not be allowed to Dominate Idiology.Theology should be a matter of convinience to suit the current generation without disturbing certain minimum norms of theology.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222
This balancing can provide stability to the faith for times to come.
Prakash.S.Bagga

WKWF.
My daughters are students at The Guru Nanak Sikh School West London Hayes.
I have lived in Southall all my life ,it's a "socially,culturally,regligious diverse melting pot."....in other words it's becoming a ghetto !
When I was a student at the local schools back in the late 70's and 80's we used to attend morning assembly and christmas/easter were the only national holiday's ,it was a very Christian affair in the UK at that time.My fellow students were from Sikh/Hindu/Muslim/Christain,Asian/Black/White backgrounds and we all grew up unaffected by the "school Christains." All have maintained their own belief system that they were born into.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222
This prove's that it's NOT only what is taught in school BUT also what is taught at home.
Do I like the idea of faith school's ?....a very firm NO.....so why do I send my daughters to a Sikh Faith School ?....because its a very good school for academia.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222
The school has Christain white teachers,Muslim teachers black/asian ,Sikh teachers and most importantly the 20% non Sikh rule is taken up by Muslim students and Christain students.This proves other beliefs trust the Sikh rule of non indoctrination.
If I had my way I would keep religion out of schools because it's an unstable mix.Good example is Catholic schools,they find it very hard to teach natural selection(science) and creationism(religion) in the same school.
Most schools in London have been serving Halal approved meals (both veggie/non veggie options) but none of the non Muslim parents were informed of this fact.If religion had been kept out of the schools this would have never happened.
Keep religion for after school (monitored by person outside of belief eg a Sikh should monitor a Muslim or Christain afterschool class,this will prevent radical loony teaching's) classes and the home enviroment.

BSC1
Sat Sri Akal

I remember early seventies when south asian school children in Southall were being bussed to distant schools. However, the situation has now totally changed with a sikh school although I wouldn't approve of repeating this in other parts of UK just for the sake of doing so for sectarian considerations.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222

There is no harm in sending one's children to a 'faith school' if the academic standards are better than those of non-faith schools in the area and the 'faith' of the faith school is not imposed on the pupils deliberately or inadvertently. I sent my children to a catholic school in India because that was the best one in the city established nearly 80 years ago. The pupils were 95% from non-faith background and there was no compulsion to attend assembly or other christian events.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222

However, I am of the firm opinion that religion should be taught not in a school but in a religious place or at home. A school should focus on imparting academic knowledge in a scientific manner, that includes religious education about all faith and belief systems in an objective manner in order to develop critical appreciation of the system in question.

Remember Guru ji sent prominent sikhs like Bhai Gurdas to Hindu places of learning such as Benaras to learn about Hindu religion. However, if the aim of setting up a faith school is to attempt to convert or to inculcate a sense of chauvinistic superiority over other faiths then faith school may become a place for breeding extremism and sectarian hatred as happens in Scotland in UK where the top agenda of the recentlly elected Scottish National Party is to curb the scourge of sectarianism in Scotland particularly in Scottish footbal.

Humbly
Serjinder Singh

It is equally important that we have preachers and scholars with proper and indepth knowledge of Gurbaani.Ifind most of our prechers and scholars are unable to give satisfactory answer of many of Gurbaani messages and their interpretation is just more confusing.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32222
So we should look at the qualities and the level of knowledge they can impart to our coming generation.
Prakash.s.Bagga

I feel that ALL schools should teach the basics of ALL religions to ALL children in order to avoid misconceptions, stereotyping and conflict. This is the best way to promote harmony among different people imho