HAVING FAITH IN SCHOOLS
Spiritual study plays a role
For many parents, faith is as important to their child’s education as reading, writing and arithmetic.
That’s why a number of local independent schools integrate religion and culture alongside the provincial curriculum.
Calgary Jewish Academy — which has seen 37 per cent enrolment growth in grades 1 to 9 over the last four years — offers a dual curriculum, says board chair Stanley Eisenberg.
“Where appropriate, Alberta Education curriculum is taught from a Jewish perspective,” he says. “At the same time, part of every day is dedicated to Judaic study.”
This includes Hebrew and Torah study, he notes.
This integration is important to parents like Jennifer Hadley. She has two children attending the school, is herself a grad, and wants her kids to learn about the Jewish faith and culture.
“I don’t think you can do it all at home,” she says. “Families do the best they can … but I don’t think I could keep up with it at home. It’s a lot to learn and my son comes home and he actually teaches me things.”
Betty Tong, a parent with three children attending Glenmore Christian Academy, sees teachers and the school as her partners in teaching her kids about faith.
“It’s an extension of what we as parents are seeking to get into the lives of our kids,” she says. “We value learning the world view that places God at the centre, and that’s why we chose to immerse our kids in a Christian setting.”
The school, the largest private Christian school in Calgary, incorporates religious classes beginning in kindergarten with studying the Bible, says head of school Stan Hielema.
“We don’t want to just develop minds, but also all aspects … emotional, social, physical, intellectual and spiritual,” he says.
Founded by the Dashmesh Culture Centre in 2007, Khalsa School Calgary provides education in an environment connected to Sikh beliefs and culture. The school now has close to 400 students.
“In terms of my faith, it’s been really connected in my classes,” says Grade 9 student Brahamjot Kaur, who came to Khalsa in Grade 3. “I like (learning) about language and culture and faith.”
Students at Khalsa School learn Punjabi while studying the Guru Granth Sahib, the central religious scripture of Sikhism.
“Khalsa was started so kids could get education and stay connected to their roots,” says assistant principal Jaspreet Kaur. “If the language dies, the culture is doomed.”
Malka Labell, a graduate of Calgary Jewish Academy who now has a daughter in her first year at the school, says a key question to ask when considering a faith-based school is how it aligns to your family’s values.
“Before I talked to the schools (I was considering), I asked our family what our core values were for education. When I went to the school, those were the questions I was asking,” she says. “The main reason we chose Calgary Jewish Academy is the sense of community and identity … and raising our child with the values I had as a child.”
Although these education options have a faith focus, you don’t always need to be a particular religion or culture to attend, something that Hadley appreciates.
“There are a lot of non-Jewish kids that go here … that has diversified the classroom,” she says.
The same goes for Khalsa, says Jaspreet. “We are very open towards other faiths.”
Ultimately, Hielema says, faith is just one component of education, but one a private school such as Glenmore Christian Academy has the flexibility to incorporate.
“We love the fact we can send our children to Glenmore knowing that what we teach at home is going to be reinforced at school,” he says.