BY BALWANT SANGHERA
President
Punjabi Language Education Association
DURING the past few years, Punjabi has attained a fairly high profile in Canada, locally, provincially and nationally. All around there are a lot of signs in Punjabi at prominent government and public places like banks, hospitals, city halls, credit unions and various other locations. Punjabi has now become the language of employment in many parts of Canada .In this context, Punjabi Language Education Association (PLEA) continues to work hard in promoting Punjabi at all levels.
Surrey has always been a great model for us. At present, Punjabi is being taught in six elementary and nine secondary schools in Surrey. The six elementary schools where Punjabi classes are under way are: Beaver Creek, Green Timbers, Newton, Strawberry Hill, Chimney Hill and T.E. Scott. The nine high schools are: Enver Creek, Frank Hurt, L.A.Matheson, Panorama Ridge, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth, Sullivan Heights, Tamanawis and SAIL (Surrey Academy for Individualized Learning). In addition to that, Punjabi classes are being offered in North Delta Secondary School, New Westminster Secondary and Queensborough Middle School, Burnaby South and various schools in Abbotsford.
Due to the COVID-19 situation, our lives have been turned upside down. Schools are no exception. Online learning seems to have become the norm until things get back to normal. Every school district is now making plans for the Fall. Surrey is also actively involved in this process. According to the BC Ministry of Education policy, every student in BC’s public school system must take a second language (other than English) from grades four to eight. In order to plan classes for September, Surrey school officials have sent language selection forms home via e-mail to the parents of current grade four students (who will be entering grade five in September 2020) in six elementary schools. Parents have been given the choice between French and Punjabi as a second language. These forms should be returned via e-mail to their child’s school by April 30.
On behalf of PLEA I would like to urge parents of grade four students of these six schools – Newton, Strawberry Hill, Beaver Creek, T.E. Scott, Green Timbers and Chimney Hill – to choose Punjabi and return the forms via e-mail immediately to their child’s school.
PLEA would like to add more schools to these lists. However, it needs community support in order to do so. In this context, once the current COVID-19 pandemic is over and things are back to normal, PLEA would like to urge well-wishers of Punjabi to become its ambassadors. They can help organize parents at schools where there is a large number of students interested in enrolling in Punjabi classes. After organizing at the local school level, they should contact the school officials and PLEA to follow up on this. We need to encourage parents and students to take more pride in their mother tongue Punjabi.
For further information please feel free to contact me at 604-836-8976 or Sadhu Binning at 778-773-1886.
As I was forced to learn French in 1970 due to Quebec’s demands for a distinct society it made no sense to me.
Even then I could see being part of BC and the various Pacific Rim languages such as Punjabi, Mandarin would make you valuable to an employer.
I am glad that other highly visible and caring groups are now speaking out, as Quebec got a sweet deal by their demands for a distinct society and a two language society in years past.
Realize the changing face and composition of Canada, and the orphan Annie language of French that we do not use in Western Canada.
They don’t care about Quebec or Western Canada
Sylvia, try to be less racist and biased – and debate like an educated person. If you can’t face democratic realities, that’s too bad.
When you go to Rome learn Italian in B.C.learn English!
The kids already know English … we are talking about learning a second language and not being dumb. Debate with some logic and intelligence please! Don’t be a dinosaur!
Depending on the child’s future. What language would best help them get a career. If you work in a punjabi speaking area then it’s a good idea. If you may go into policing, be in Quebec, Ottawa etc maybe French is the better option. If your a traveler what language would best support you…
This is Canada. English or French. Teach your language at home. Not on our tax dollar.
Talking like a certified moron? South Asians also pay taxes – and this is an official second language course with choices. Maybe dinosaurs like you should go to some other country because South Asians are here to stay and prosper. Racists like you don’t even have the guts to reveal your real names (or you use fake emails and IP addresses)- or you find comfort in making racist comments in so-called mainstream media that is no longer mainstream!
I think it’s great that people from India immigrated to various parts of the world. However, if you go to Denmark (for example), the language spoken there is Danish and there is an Indian influence. I am glad that Canada is a multicultural country but the national languages are English and French. NOT Punjabi (which is only 6% of India). If you want your children to learn Punjabi, do it at home. Or do what the Koreans and Chinese do after school; have an hour or two of learning Chinese or Korean. My parents came from the Philippines to Canada for a better life. Not once have Filipinos ever pushed Tagalog to be a second language as there are a lot of us in Canada. From a wider scale, French and English would be better for business globally. Punjabi is only amongst other Punjabi speakers. Hindi would even be better to learn than Punjabi. AND English was chosen as a language over Hindi in India because casts could not even understand each other in the many dialects.
We are talking about CANADA – and the province of B.C. where multiculturalism is flourishing in spite of all the opposition by some racists. I don’t think you understand the issue here – in B.C. if you can sign up a certain numbers of students for ANY language as an additional language to learn, the school will then introduce that course. Punjabi is being taught in many schools. Sanghera is merely appealing to Punjabi parents to encourage their kids to also learn Punjabi. Many ignore his request and some don’t – that is democracy. If others don’t “push” their language(s) for whatever reason, that is, again, their choice. I am half-Punjabi (and a Christian – there are some 30 million Christians in India) who doesn’t speak or write Punjabi. My family has spoken English for generations. I know French and Hindi – and I can read and write Korean and am learning Mandarin (Chinese). I don’t have a problem with people learning a second language that they think will benefit them in some way.
only you are not paying tax , all south asians are paying tax and also all south asians are working and they are not homeless, as we are paying tax and you know who are homeless in this country and government is helping them with our tax . And still have problem then you can go to any other country
How about learning some Hindi Instead of Punjabi as lots of other south East Asian’s don’t speak Punjabi at home. The debate can go on and on as a south east tax paying Asian I urge Canada stick to English and French. Rest of the languages can be taught at home as per the kids parents discretion.
Why not … if there is enough demand for Hindi. Other languages are also being chosen as second languages. Are you really that ignorant? Or just racist? This is 2020, buddy —- not 1920!
Punjabi is only 6% of India
Anthony, we are talking about CANADA and BC – not India!
Though Canada is a multi culture, Canada should not have multiple languages as second languages. English and French are enough. Immigrants can bring their culture and language but they can not ask others to accept theirs as common.
Who are you to tell other Canadians what to do? And what do you mean by immigrants? Non-white guys? Are you a racist? EVERYBODY is an immigrant if you are not Aboriginal? Give your thick skull a good shake.
Why should our children be put out with extra time, money and work to learn their language? They can’t even be bothered to speak or learn the English language!
It’s about choice. Nobody is forcing anyone to learn any other language.
Punjabi is a language of Minority in India.Surely Hindi is widely spoken and understood in India or even among south Asian diaspora in Canada.So it will be mistake to make Punjabi as a second language. Why not we say that one can take any one of the major internationally recognised languages like French,Arabic,Hindi,Mandarin,Spanish or Russian.
I don’t think you understand the issue here – in B.C. if you can sign up a certain numbers of students for ANY language as an additional language to learn, the school will then introduce that course. Punjabi is being taught in many schools. Sanghera is merely appealing to Punjabi parents to encourage their kids to also learn Punjabi. Many ignore his request and some don’t – that is democracy. If others don’t “push” their language(s) for whatever reason, that is, again, their choice.