Bernards School Board to Further Discuss Diwali as Holiday [POLL]
Two more residents ask Board of Education on Monday to consider adding Diwali as a holiday to a future school calendar.
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In response to further urging by two parents at Monday's Board of Education meeting, School Board President Susan Carlsson said a board subcommittee soon will take a closer look at the idea.
"This issue has been referred to the [board] policy committee, that will be discussing it soon," Carlsson said in response to the issue, which had been raised in December when board members had approved the 2014-15 school year calendar.
Schools Superintendent Valerie Goger said at that time that the policy committee could consider the proposal during January, and get back to the full board in late January or in February with a report.
Dozens of residents from Bernards Township's Asian community had attended the Dec. 19 meeting to asked that the first day of the festival of Diwali, an annual holiday that begins each October to November, be added as a day off from school in the 2014-15 calendar.
School officials then said that although the future calendar was approved that night, it could be later amended.
As it stands now, students in the school district can request an excused absence for a religious holiday celebrated by their family.
However, Ashish Haruray, one of the parents to address the board on Monday, said that under the current arrangement, students still will have homework and would miss school activities during the celebration. "Unless there is a holiday, they really wouldn't be able to enjoy time with their family," he said.
Diwali is celebrated over five days, but the first day can be filled with many activities both at home, and at a temple, another speaker said. Not only Hindus, but additional religious groups, including Buddhists and others, celebrate Diwali, he noted.
"Diwali is important to Indians, and all of the Indian community," Deepak Kapadia, a parent who presented the school board with a petition asking that the district recognize Diwali on an upcoming school calendar for 2014-15, said in December.
Goger on Dec. 20 that the petition had been received with 78 signatures.
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Jan. 23, Carlsson said at the end of Monday's meeting. It is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the William Annin Middle School,
In This article
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Bernards Township Board of Education
101 Peachtree Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ -
William Annin Middle School
70 Quincy Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ
BaskingRidge1992
4:00 pm on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Hi,
I am an Indian student who graduated from Ridge High School last year. While I am a Hindu and celebrate Diwali, I am not completely for all students getting a day off for Diwali. Firstly, the reasons Jews and Christians get a day off for their respective holidays is that there are a large amount of Jews and Christians in our school district. So, while schools in Edison may receive a day off for Diwali, it is because there is a much a larger population of Indian students in those areas.
Secondly, students at Ridge High School who practice Hinduism are permitted to take a day off for Diwali each year and not get penalized for it. It does not go on their
record and students do not have to complete homework for that night. However, what surprises me is that each year I saw most, if not all, Indian students attending school on the day of Diwali (which means that we are not taking advantage. of this opportunity.)
If we truly want to make Diwali an official holiday, lets first start out by allowing our kids to take a day off. Then only can we show that Hindu’s in this town are serious about Diwali and deserve an official day off.
HBSR
9:54 pm on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
My Indian friend, I would like for you to first take a look at the demographic results before you make any statements on the ethnic composition of students in Bernard Township.
May be there is the same number of Indian population children living in Edison school district who do not think like you do, it got easier for them to get the day off.
Children do not take the day off due to peer pressure and the burden of completing work the following day, also not being able to comfortably catch up with the work taught in class in their absence. Besides, many children have a lot of after school activities that are very important to them, restricting them from taking the day off.
We would like for our children to get a day off on Diwali so that they are able to celebrate and learn more about the festival/culture besides enjoying the day with the family. This will help them in future, when they graduate they will be able to proudly encourage other school districts to give the day off.
My friend let’s make a difference by coming together. It’s all a matter of acculturating and accommodating.
Regards,
A very proud Indian and a mother of two children in the Bernard Township school who would love to have the day off.
sks
10:12 pm on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Hi,
I am an Indian student at Ridge High and would like to share my perspective on this issue. Diwali is the most important Holiday for me and my family. In the past when I was in Elementary and Middle school, I would take the day off for Diwali and so would my parents. It did bother me that I am having to do extra work the next day so that I could catch up. This year however, the pressures of High School precluded me from doing so. Diwali this year fell on a Wednesday in October and I went to school like I do on any other regular day. I knew fully well that I am taking days off in December to go to India for some close family weddings and to see my maternal and paternal grandparents and close relatives. Therefore I would not be able to afford any more days off.
I feel like sharing my most important Holiday with my friends and making them a part of the festivities. Just like I get excited about Christmas and celebrate them with much enthusiasm, I would like my friends to understand Diwali and enjoy it as a day off from school. According to bill draper(demographer) Nine percent of the people in our town are Indians and the Asian population has grown by 40% in the last five years. Therefore there are enough people in town that celebrate Diwali and Diwali deserves to be recognized as a holiday on the school calendar.
Lori
10:35 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Can we please have Chinese New Year as a holiday for Bernards Township students?
HBSR
10:39 am on Friday, January 13, 2012
I wonder if people are starting to make racial comments trying to make fun of another culture here???
Johnaton
1:58 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Sra: Where do you see that happening? People are just expressing their opinion. Relax.
HBSR
3:21 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Johnaton, Not sure if you read the heading of this article "Bernards School Board to Further Discuss Diwali as Holiday [POLL] ". People do not have to express their feelings about a Chinese New Year when we are discussing about Diwali, if they are so keen they can present it to the BOE. Liberty of speech does not give people the right to make fun of other cultures. Thank you for being understanding in this matter as I am a true Indian and cannot stand it if people make fun of my culture or any of my festivals.
n
5:09 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
You better get a thicker skin. Plus the comment for a Chinese New Year is a fair request as would someone asking for Greek Orthodox Christmas!
Miles
3:49 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Whatever happened to the "melting pot"....some of my ancestors came here in kilts, some spoke Gaelic, some spoke French. I wear jeans, speak English and celebrate American Holidays. I'm sorry if we don't have off your religion's special day but you knew that before you came to this great country. My God, if we had every ethnic group's special days off, we'd be off every week.
Lori
5:56 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Please..... French, Indian, Chinese, etc. are nationalities not races.
Also, do parents have the day off from work so that they can celebrate Bastille Day, Diwali or Chinese New Year with their kids?
Having a district-wide day off would be an aggravation for everyone that would now have to find child care for their kids on that day.
Come on!!!!
cs
10:07 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Important to take things in perspective. As sks stated; ‘According to bill draper(demographer) Nine percent of the people in our town are Indians and the Asian population has grown by 40% in the last five years. Therefore there are enough people in town that celebrate Diwali and Diwali deserves to be recognized as a holiday on the school calendar’. If we can find childcare for Good Friday, Rosh Hashanah, Teacher's convention etc.etc. then certainly one more day wouldn't hurt.
Lori
10:30 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Indian is a nationality, Hinduism is a religion. Are the 9% of Indians in our town Hindu though? Indians could be Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Jewish etc. So it would be interesting to know this.
I have no problem with any of this if it is indeed what the vast majority of the 500 Indian families want. (Not just 30 Indians out of the 2000 in town).
HBSR
10:41 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Lori, I would love for you to tell me which organization gives 10 days off during Christmas and the entire weekend off for Thankshiving? We do adjust although we do not celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, with a smile on our face embracing other cultural holidays. Neither do we have anything to do with Rosh Hashanah, we still enjoy it with our Jewish friends. For an Indian, the family is complete with the children around, while performing any festive ritual. We parents do take the day off and we would love for our children to do so for us to be able to enjoy the day with relatives and friends. Based on the Parent-student survey done recently every child gets an average of 4-5 hours of homework every single day. My child would not want to miss out on the lessons taught n that amount of homework, besides the after school activities. Remember my dear we are in a home away from home, we would like our children to learn about our culture by being a part of it and participating rather than learning about it from the books.
HBSR
12:51 pm on Saturday, January 14, 2012
This might help understand the importance of Diwali for "Indians" around the world.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/in-diwali-celebrations-hindus-assimilate-in-america/2011/10/26/gIQA5gdwIM_blog.html
Every year, thousands of Indians including Jains, Hindus, Sikhs celebrate Diwali. On Diwali the Sikhs illuminate their Gurdwaras, Sikh pilgrims take a dip in the sacred tank while reciting Japji Sahib, and then pray at the Golden Temple.
The Jains observe fasting and chant the Uttaradhyayan Sutra, which contain the final pravachans of Lord Mahavira, and meditate upon him.
In Nepal, Diwali is known as Tihar. Cows are given offerings, in appreciation of the food they have given and agricultural work they have performed; celebrations follow the with lights & lamps & much social activity, also brothers & sisters meet to exchange pleasantries.
In Sri Lanka, on this festival this day people wear new clothes and exchange pleasantries.Its a "sweet" day, literally!!
India has 29 States, at least 30 different languages and around 2000 dialects. Diwali is celebrated in each and every state in spite of this diversity.