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California approves
Sikh Coloring Book for SIM
Onkar S Bindra
 SACRAMENTO: Keeping
in view the often poor knowledge of people in the West, including
the United States, about Sikhs and Sikhism, and aimed at educating
the masses about Sikh identity, many considered it very important to
include information about Sikhs in the textbooks and Supplemental
Instructional Materials (SIM).
Last June, this
reporter pointed out to the California Department of Education (CDE)
the need for inclusion of “The Boy with Long Hair” in the SIM, and
advised the publisher, to submit it for approval. A coloring story
book has now been approved by the CDE for grades K-3.
The Boy with Long
Hair
is a true story of a California-born Sikh boy. He was quite happy in
San Jose. His family moved to a small town where they had not seen
a boy
with long hair. Here, no one wanted to play with him, or talk to
him. His isolation saddened him and ignorance of kids around him
angered him. This book tells the story of courage and triumph of
this young boy, how he dealt with the situation and finally became
happy as the boy with long hair. His unique identity was no
longer a problem. Everyone in his school knew him as an intelligent
fun-loving boy.
 In the words of the
author, Pushpinder Kaur, it
is a story for all those children who have felt left out and lonely
because their heritage has given them customs that seem strange to
some people. It is the story of a boy who knows that although people
may look or behave differently, there is much that they share. She
statess, “This coloring book teaches children to be proactive,
finding solutions to problems. Children and teachers alike realize
that we have many similarities despite our differences, as the boy
with long hair points them out. This book sends a powerful message
about respect for diversity of our nation (America).”
This reporter
earlier got the following two items approved for use in California’s
public schools: (1) “Meet the Sikhs”, a short DVD produced by PBS/KVIE,
Sacramento, now viewable on “You Tube”, and (2) “The Sikh Next Door”
of Lohgarh Sikh Educational Foundation. With the approval of “The
Boy with Long Hair” of the Sikh Foundation, we will now have three
items on the SIM.
It
is extremely important that Sikh parents request the teachers of
their school children to make use of these Supplemental
Instructional Materials. Gifting one or all of these to the teachers
and the Principal concerned will definitely encourage them to use
these CDE-approved instructional materials, for education of the
staff and the students. Readers are requested to convey this
message to Sikhs throughout California. (Prof. Onkar S. Bindra,
Sacramento: osbindra@yahoo.com)
3 September 2008
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