I went along to the Bhumi Puja for the new Krishna-Avanti school in Harrow the other day. The ceremony to mark the UK’s first ever government-funded Hindu faith school generated quite a bit of media interest and a short television news report can be viewed here:
Faith schools are regarded by the neo-secularists to be an unecessary reversion to Britains religious past, when spiritual life and educational life were held to be both equally important in building the character of a child. However, despite the clamour of the opposing parties, recent statistics still prove that faith schools in general deliver a better exam pass rate than average. And Hindu children seem to achieve high results. In a country where, as in most places, education is a key yardstick in measuring the competence of the government of the day, such figures are important. Put the figures together and the idea of a Hindu faith school seems to make good educational sense.
Hence this particular government of the day is keen to show support to a Hindu school, the first of its kind. At least one government minister, several members of parliament, the head of school inspectors, and the head of the local council, joined the governors and staff for the occasion.
Government-funded means that both the majority cost of building the school and the ongoing teachers salaries are provided by government. This leads to the stability of being able to plan for the future. It also means that the curriculum must be taught in accordance with national requirements yet the faith partnership means that Vedic wisdom, ethics and values will accompany the children through their years of education.
The design of the school is very forward-looking and has been conceptualised and executed by a team of architects who specialise in educational spaces. Solar panels and a ‘green roof’ along with outdoor teaching, lots of daylight in classrooms, and spaces for vegetable growing have already attracted favourable comments. And the idea of yoga for children also seems to have got people nodding their heads in approval in these days of childhood obesity.
The school is not expected to be fully operational until September 2009, and by that time will be heavily over-subscribed if current enquiries continue as they are. You can find out more at: www.krishna-avanti.org.uk
