6 February 2010

Plans for the UK's first state-funded Hindu Secondary school have been turned down by the Department of Children, Schools & Families (DCFS) who claim that funds for new secondary schools are already committed elsewhere. The DCSF provided £11.1 million towards the £13.5 million total project cost for the first Hindu primary school, the Krishna Avanti School, located in the London Borough of Harrow. Built by the iFoundation, a Hindu charity that raised the balance through private funding, the Krishna Avanti Primary School officially opened in September 2008 in temporary accommodation and moved into its new premises in September 2009. It is described as the UK's first 'eco-school' given its low impact on the environment.

The iFoundation recently announced its intention to build at least one secondary school within the next six years having identified two possible sites - one in the London Borough of Barnet and one in Leciester - both areas with high Hindu populations. "The I-Foundation is already committed to raising millions of pounds from within its community and has a track record to show this is achievable, " said director, Nitesh Gor, "we have also shown that it is possible to complete the project within a year and build a school that has achieved a UK BREEAM Schools ‘excellent’ rating with a score of 75.91%. This is currently the highest rating score of any school in the UK."

Gor, says that it is “patently absurd” that, alone among the major faiths in the UK, Britain’s one million Hindus are deprived of the option of a faith-based secondary school education for their children. DCSF has stated that all the money available for new secondary school building is already committed elsewhere, through the Building Schools for Future programme, making it impossible to move forward. BSF’s aim is to renew nearly every secondary school in England. The iFoundation claims that "whilst this is helpful to all other faith groups, who have existing schools, it places the Hindu community at an even greater disadvantage."

Mr Gor, who is also the Chair of Governors of the Krishna-Avanti School, explains: “In only our second year, we had five applicants for every two places. Parents see the school’s open ethos, its work with local schools of other faiths and of none, its curriculum which teaches about all major world religions and its ethnically diverse intake, and they see the best of both worlds. We combine the ethical values and moral discipline which accompany faith education with a willingness to engage with the world beyond and prepare our children to play a full part in British society.”

Leading Hindu Peer, Lord Dholakia, adds: “It is simply not sustainable for Hindu parents to be excluded from often outstanding faith-based educational opportunities already available to Anglicans, Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs. The I-Foundation’s plans offer the opportunity to put right this inadvertent wrong.”

Cllr David Ashton, Leader of Harrow Council, said: "We have been pleased to support the establishment of the country's first state funded Hindu primary school in Harrow, both at the planning stage and then by offering temporary classrooms for its pupils while this outstanding site was built.”

The Krisna Avanti primary school is also setting standards in healthy living with its own strict vegetarian kitchen preparing meals for the children on site from scratch using fresh ingredients, and with each school day including yoga and meditation. Children study the national curriculum, but also tend the garden and learn concepts such as the equality of all living things. Multiculturalism forms an important part of the School’s philosophy, and they already have strong ties with other schools.

The heart of the School’s ethos is harmony with the environment, which includes the building, landscape, curriculum and even school meals. The School has a state-of-the-art building design with the highest aspirations for sustainability and conservation. It seeks to be an inspirational example of an educational environment for the future. It has unique eco-systems including wildlife zones, vegetable, fruit and flower gardens and sedum roofs. The building structure has been built timber structure with timber cladding, rainwater harvesting and ground source heat pumps (which provide 70% of the school's heating).

Click here to view our images of the Krishna Avanti primary school.