TRANSCRIPT
Despite Australia becoming more religiously diverse, there isn't a mainstream Hindu school for 800-thousand people in the country who identify with this faith.
Unlike Hinduism, other major faiths including Islam and Greek Orthodox have schools of their own.
But that's about to change.
A two hectare block in the northwest of Sydney will be home to Australia's first Hindu school in 2027.
This - as the federal government has pledged $8.5 million dollars in grant funding for the construction of a new school in the suburb of Oakville in the Hawkesbury region.
Hindu Council of Australia's Vice President Surinder Jain shares how the concept emerged in 2019.
He says the community got together to raise funds and purchase the block last year.
"Initially it looked like an impossible task, a mammoth task – I don’t think we’ll ever have our own school but then a group of parents came together, raised money and said we are going to start a Hindu school."
The 2021 census found Hinduism is the third largest religion in Australia.
The school will start with Kindergarten to Year Two, and eventually have classes all the way up to Year 12.
"We see no problem in filling kindergarten to Year Two streams, we'll start with one stream initially. Depending on the demand we will add a second or third stream if needed. And once the Year Two students have graduated we will start Year Three so they don't have to change schools."
Mr Jain talks about the aspects of Hinduism that the school will be committing to such as non-violence and good discipline.
"The first thing to be a good Hindu or a good Christian, or any other faith of that matter is to understand what it is. That's what this school will be teaching. Some of the things which will help non-Hindus as well when they study in the school there will be emphasis on yoga, which is for good physical health and there will be emphasis on meditation which is good mental health."
There are around 800-thousand Hindus who call Australia home.
Rahul Jethi from the Hindu Education and Cultural Centre has told SBS their aim is to inspire the next generation in the country.
“We expect to create something which is not just a school for learning, which is a place for people to assemble, to get together and also ensure that the next generation of Australians, Hindu Australians they basically get a lot of inspiration and education from this place.”
Education Minister Jason Clare has said it will help provide Hindu Australians with the sort of choice that other Australians have - which is to send their children to a school that incorporates their faith and culture.
Ram Ramaswamy from the Hindu Education and Cultural Centre has told SBS that the development application process is due to begin next month.
He says they are estimating the total cost to come in at around $35 million dollars.
"Not only the elders, or the people who have just been settled in or the new migrants, everybody started chipping in, even now there are new, young students who are contributing $100 per month and this process is continuing."
Kiran Sampathkumar, from the same centre talks about the commonalities in going to school with someone from the same culture.
"I saw a lot of the boys were able to really, they used to go to the same churches together on a Sunday so they built a brotherhood that I sort of have not seen with Hindu kids in Sydney as yet, so it just provides that safe space for Hindu kids to come and bring the sort of food that you eat at home and you can wear your 'thilak' (*refer to footnote) when you come to school and you're not really going to be afraid someone is going to judge or ask you all these hard questions. You don't need to hide your identity."
For Anupriya Mehra, it's about instilling in children the importance of valuing their identity.
"It will give them a sense of cultural identity, of course it’s going to be the same academic education and everything else which they are going to be exposed to but it is important to kind of value your own individual identity which is what we want our children to be able to do."
