FREE SCHOOL PLAN BY SIKHS IS ANOTHER STEP NEARER REALITY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Free school plan by Sikhs is another step nearer reality

Proposals by Sikh leaders to set up a free school have moved a step closer.

The Department for Education has given them approval to progress to the next and final stage following the submission of their business case.

They join another successful bid in the city from a group which is hoping to set up a post-16 school for sporting excellence with support from Leicester Tigers.

Free schools are part of the Government's flagship policy which allows parents, charities and faith groups, among others, to set them up.

They are funded directly by the Government and do not have to follow the national curriculum, but must provide a broad and balanced education.

Indy Panesar, the president of Ramgarhia Sikh Temple, in Meynell Road, off Uppingham Road, Leicester, is one of the nine temple leaders behind the bid.

He said: "This is very positive news and we're cautiously confident."However, we still have a big hurdle to cross."

Sikh leaders now have to attend an interview with free school experts from the Government to discuss their plans.

This is scheduled for May 17, but a final decision is not expected until the summer.

A number of locations are being considered as a potential site for the school, which would take pupils from four to 11 years and be known as Leicester Sikh School.

Among them is Ellesmere College in Braunstone, which is relocating to the former Riverside Community College site in Rowley Fields. Mr Panesar said: "We are still considering sites and no firm decisions have been taken if we are given the go-ahead.

The school's ethos would be based on the Sikh faith, but must offer half of the places to non-Sikh children.

It would serve only vegetarian food and take a reception and year one class with 30 children in each, during its first year, with numbers growing thereafter.

If plans are allowed to progress it should be open in time for September 2013.

Initial set-up costs for the school are paid for by the Government.

Councillor Vi Dempster, the city council spokeswoman for children, young people and schools, said: "I met with Sikh community leaders and I'm pleased to hear they have got through to the next stage.

"They have given their commitment to work with the local authority as part of its family of schools if they're successful.

"Given the rise in the primary school population, this won't affect the stability of any schools in the city."

Free schools were created by the Government to give parents more choice.

ANGER AT CREMATORIUM PLAN

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Anger at crematorium plan

Scores of residents visited an exhibition to learn about plans to build a crematorium near their homes.

Developer Westerleigh Group is hoping to submit a planning application at the end of March for a crematorium in Leicester Road, Countesthorpe.

The £3 million development was unveiled at Countesthorpe village hall on Thursday and yesterday. Residents were given a chance to ask questions about the project.

If approved by Blaby District Council, the crematorium would be built next to a proposed 168-home estate by Redrow Homes, and residents fear it will further increase traffic along Leicester Road.

Liz Swift, who lives within a few hundred yards of the proposed site, said: "My first reaction was shock and horror.

"We've lived here for 28 years and there's been six fatalities on Leicester Road in that time – I don't think anything which brings more cars is a good idea.

"First, there's the new estate being built at the top of the road and now this, we're just concerned about the traffic."

Kenneth Warner, 86, who has lived in the village since he was three, said: "I don't understand why they're building it there, it should be closer towards Wigston, where there are more people.

"I don't have a problem with it, but it will cause a lot more congestion on the roads, we're busy enough as it is. Station Road looks like a motorway during rush-hour." 

Robert Jelves, 68, said: "News of the crematorium is going round the village like wildfire, a lot of people are concerned."

The developer said that the majority of cars going in and out of the site would not be within rush hour times.

Managing director of Westerleigh Group Richard Evans said: "It's going to be a quiet, tranquil place, which is set back from the road and very discreet.

"There's been a need for something like this for a long, long time."Leicester is one of the busiest places in the country for cremations and currently has two crematoria which are holding about 14 services a day between them.

"The Countesthorpe site would hold about five cremations a day."

Mr Evans said the Countesthorpe site could deal with up to 1,100 to 1,300 cremations a year. He said: "We estimate that about 200 will come from the southern wards of the city and the majority will be from this area.

"We foresee that most people will come from around this area, but we want to make it open and available for everybody."

Under the proposals, the facade of the main building will include an interchangeable religious symbol, which can be switched to represent the faith of the service.

There will also be wash rooms and a viewing area for Sikh ceremonies, which traditionally involve watching the coffin entering the furnace.

FAITH TRAIL LINKS PLACES OF WORSHIP

From today's Leicester Mercury:

Faith Trail links places of worship

A walking route linking places of worship will be launched on Friday.

The Faith and Place Trail was compiled by archaeology students from the University of Leicester.

It is accompanied by a map that includes all places of worship in the city.

The trail was devised by second year students, with the help of the city's faith groups.

It takes in a selection of the places of faith which can be visited in the course of a few hours.

They include centres of worship for Bahá'í, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism and Sikhism, plus the Secular Hall and world arts gallery at New Walk Museum.

A university spokesman said: "The trail highlights how much there is to discover about Leicester."

University vice-chancellor, Professor Sir Robert Burgess, will be at the launch of the trail at New Walk Museum on Friday.

For details and the map, see: www.le.ac.uk/faithtrail

Pupils get an insight into beliefs at faith festival

Here's a positive article about faiths and young people on the local scene, from today's Leicester Mercury. This would appear to be a new initiative on the part of St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society. I'd not heard of it before, at least. Good on them for providing such a service.

Pupils get an insight into beliefs at faith festival 

Pupils had a chance to learn about seven religions in one day when their school held a faith festival.

Faith workers went into Mount Grace High School, Hinckley, to give the youngsters insights into the beliefs and customs of Bahá'í, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.

The Religion and Belief Roadshow, organised by St Philip's Centre, in Leicester, gave youngsters the chance to try foods and henna and finger painting and try on clothing associated with the different faiths.

There were also stqalls showing relvant items, and opportunities to ask questions.

Assistant Head Teacher Tom Dunne said: "The whole school had been excited about this day for a long time.

"We want our children to have the broadest range of knowledge and understanding to become the active citizens of tomorrow."

Riaz Ravat, of St Philip's Centre, a multi-faith organisation run by the Anglican Diocese of Leicester, said: "Our main purpose is to generate fun on a subject which is often all too serious.

"We want to communicate the shared values of respect, acceptance and charity, which faith communities possess.

"This is a two-way process, however, so we have much to learn from the children."

small request for The Big Questions

I take a call this afternoon at the Welcome Centre from Amanda Egbujo. She's a Producer with Mentorn TV, working on the religious affairs programme "The Big Questions", in which Nicky Campbell (photo above) hosts a series of religious, moral and ethical debates. The next edition will be broadcast live from Samworth Enterprise Academy in Leicester this coming Sunday (16 Jan). The show goes out on BBC1 at 1000.

The programme will focus in part on Islam as a guide for daily living. Amanda asked if the Council of Faiths could provide someone from another of the city's faith communities to speak about how their own faith guides them in daily life. She agrees that a Hindu or Sikh would be appropriate, being Leicester's next largest "minority" faith communities. If we're unable to offer anyone from either of those two communities, I'm sure she'll be happy to have someone from another faith background, as long as they can do the business on live TV.

I tell Amanda that if we are able to offer someone, then it would not be for purposes of argument, dispute or controversy – that the Council of Faiths is not in the business of promoting division or dissension between the faith communities. She told me she's happy with that.

When Amanda gives me her office number, I realise that she’s calling from Glasgow. She has a Scots accent and remarks upon mine (and my guid Scots surname). So I take the opportunity to tell her a wee bit about my having started inter faith work in Glasgow when I was 19 (!) and how I still keep in touch with how that sort of thing is going up there. Of course I ask her to read the blog – I’m sure she recognises that well-worn phrase (well-worn by me, anyway), “Not backwards at coming forwards”.

I’ve sent out an email asking for someone suitable to come forward; now waiting to see what kind of response will be forthcoming. By coincidence, at that very time on Sunday mornings (well, every other Sunday, including this one) I'm sitting in the cafe of TESCO, South Wigston, reading the Observer or marking assignments from my Open University students, after dropping off Harry at St Thomas the Apostle where he sings in the choir. That's only half a mile or so from Samworth Enterprise Academy.


Image Source Page: http://www.mentorn.tv/

SIKHS IN BRITISH SOCIETY

In the evening, a choice: either I go to Shree Sanatan Mandir for the last of the Diwali celebrations, or to Secular Hall, to hear Resham Singh Sandhu speak on "Sikhs in British Society". This isn't an official part of the programme for National Inter Faith Week, but it's an auspicious day for it. I imagine that most members of the Council of Faiths will be going to Shree Sanatan Mandir - and there's no denying the obvious attraction of that. I opt for supporting Resham, since I reckon he'll probably be at Secular Hall on his own. This isn't an official part of the programme for National Inter Faith Week, but it's obviously a good day to have this talk. I arrive at Secular Hall a few minutes late and Resham's already speaking, to an audience of 20 or so. He gives an eloquent and wide-ranging presentation on Sikhs' relations with British society, its people and institutions, past, present and future. He has to leave promptly, before Q&A. On the way out, he pauses to ask me, "Aren't you coming to Hindu temple?" but he doesn't wait for my answer.

I decide to stay for Q&A, in case my meagre knowledge of Sikhism might help. Noel Singh is sitting beside me and responds to questions from the perspective of being a Sikh by birth, culture and upbringing – but having chosen not to follow the religion himself. A Sikh mother and daughter also speak there, mostly about gurdwaras in Leicester and a little bit about Sikh funeral practices. It's all conducted in an amiable atmosphere and several of the members of the Secular Society tell their own tales about acts of kindness and generosity shown to them personally by Sikhs at one time or another. They seem to conclude that the only trouble with Sikhism is that it's a religion and not a social movement - that they'd find it perfectly acceptable if it weren't for the fact that Sikhs believe in God. I tell them that that's their problem, rather than the Sikhs'! I leave the meeting (after tea and biscuits and the customary convivial chat with their President, Allan Hayes) with a distinctly warm feeling about this evening.