Australian-first Sikh Grammar School wants to create future leaders and fast bowlers

Sydney : Sikh Grammar School will be the first school based around the Sikh faith in Australia and New Zealand.Construction is expected to start within three months, with the local community having raised about $3.6 million for the first of seven buildings.The school will be built on 10 acres of land in Rouse Hill in Sydney’s Hills District and plans also include a Sikh temple, child care centre and hostel to house international students.
“We want to create future leaders in Australia — we want doctors, lawyers, we want politicians,” said Kuldeep Singh, a member of the school’s management committee.”We want Sikhs to be in the national parliament … we want them in sporting teams and we want them in various other fields in life.”How is that going to happen? We need to focus on the Sikh community to create future leaders of Australia from the Sikh community.”Mr Singh said parents wanted to teach their children the “mother tongue” and religious traditions alongside academic education but “can’t expect other schools to provide that”
He said 19 Jewish schools, 39 Islamic schools and about 1,700 Christian schools across Australia but no school for the Sikh community.”Indians are sports mad, you know like with cricket, but who is going to invest money in the Sikh children?” Mr Singh said.”If you want fast bowlers or spinners or batsmen, you need a coach who will charge a large sum of money and most parents can’t afford that.”How do you get a child in the state and national teams? You have to start somewhere.”Primary school classes are expected to start in 2019 with up to 120 students before extending grades up to year 12.Mr Singh said Sikh Grammar School would be a multicultural school and “all faiths, all religions are welcome”.
“This school will welcome people from the local community whoever they may be,” he said.
Growing Indian community
There are about 35,000 Sikhs and other people of Indian origin living in the Blacktown and Hills council areas, according to the school’s website.Mr Singh said the growing Indian population in western and north-west Sydney was behind the decision to establish the school in Rouse Hill.In 2009, the committee conducted a survey of about 600 Indian families in Sydney and found 25 per cent had school-aged children at the time and were interested in sending their children to a dedicated Sikh school.
He also said there had been interest from Indian communities across regional New South Wales and in northern Queensland.Most of the school’s funding has been raised by the Sikh community across Sydney, Melbourne and Shepparton in northern Victoria, as well as from international donations.”There is a lot of enthusiasm,” he said.