We feel it is important for our community to learn Punjabi because Punjabi is the mother tongue of the Punjabis as well as the language of the Sikh Religion. Through learning Punjabi, we gain an undertstanding of the Sikh cultural and spiritual heritage and develop a strong tie with the Punjab, the birthplace of Sikhism.
More importantly, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji is written in Gurmukhi and it is only through knowing and understanding Punjabi that a Sikh can fully participate in the worship of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the sangat.
The Punjabi Language School teaches Punjabi up to G.C.S.E level. It was opened in 1975 and since then over 2,500 children have been taught Punjabi in this school. Currently there are nearly 200 children attending the school, aged from 5 to 16 years.
The aim is to provide fun and enjoyable activities for
children to learn to speak, read and write in Punjabi. The starting age is 5 years and most progress to take GCSE Punjabi with an excellent success rate.
Fun days and Prize days are held annually in August/September and help to encourage and inspire the children and their families.
If you are interested in enrolling at the Punjabi School please contact us at the Punjabi School or pick up a form from the Gurdwara Library.
Class times
The Punjabi classes for children are held as two separate sessions every Sunday. The first session is from 10:00am to 11:30am and the second from 11:30am to 1:00 pm.
Each session has 5 separate classes:
- Class 1 Reception
- Class 2 Primary
- Class 3 Intermediate
- Class 4 G.C.S.E Foundation Level
- Class 5 G.C.S.E Higher Level
Important dates and holidays
These are the key calendar dates for the Punjabi school in 2011/2012.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 23th October 2011 | Holiday : Bandi Chhorh Diwas |
| 13th November 2011 | Holiday : Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday |
| 25th December 2011 | Holiday : Christmas Day |
| 1st January 2012 | Holiday : Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s birthday |
| 15th January 2012 | Parents’ meetings / Progress Reports |
| 6th May 2012 | Holiday: Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s birthday |
| 10th June | Exams |
| 17th June | Exams |
| 24th June | Holiday |
| 15th July | Parents’ meetings / Progress Reports |
| 4th August | Panjabi Mela |
| 5th August | Prize Day |
| 12th August | Summer holiday |
| 19th August | Summer holiday |
| 26st August | Summer holiday |
| 2nd September | New classes start |
Revised: 11/12/2011