London’s First Hindu faith-based School Opens
By Arun Shanghvi
Students going to class at the Krishna-Avanti School in London
London, UK (CHAKRA) – Britain’s first state-funded Hindu school has opened its doors with a smart school structure encompassing wood-clad school buildings, roofs covered with grass and an eco-friendly compound which includes a pond, a wildlife garden, and an outdoor amphitheatre.
The classrooms are embellished with shrines and a striking marble temple. The experience within is nothing similar to what was being brought up in British media: that such a school would promote religious segregation.
Krishna Avanti Primary School opened up its distinct eco-friendly compounds to exhibit its Vastu-inspired architecture and design in addition to vegetarian meals, yoga classes and an overall Vedic atmosphere.
Northwest London, an area with the largest Hindu population in Britain, is where most of the sponsors for the school are from. They immediately announced plans to open up secondary schools, to cater to the high demands in Leicester and several other cities.
A hand carved temple, made of Macrana marble from Rajasthan, is the centerpiece of the school. The marble is the same marble used to build the Taj Mahal.
Of the 3,000 plus faith-based schools currently operating in the UK, Hinduism was the only major religion in London without a faith-based school available, before the opening of Krishna Avanti Primary School. The school is funded by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) as well as another charity.
There was widespread criticism from secular groups and critics of faith-based schools, when the school was initially opened in an older building in September 2008. They stated that such a school would promote exclusivity and segregation even though the UK already gives state funding to thousands of other faith-based schools.
However, Naina Parmar, made clear: “We’re not an exclusivist ghetto… The children learn about other religions.”
