Virasati Punjabi School: Bridging Generations

0:00It's March 1st, here's your Adelaide News in two minutes. The Verissade Punjabi School in Jalong has grown a lot in just five years. It started with 15 students and now serves 53. Volunteers run the classes southwest of Melbourne, teaching Punjabi language, dance, and culture for three hours every Friday evening. Victoria leads Australia with more than 100,000 Punjabi speakers, according to the 2021 Census. Double the number in New South Wales. Yet few regular schools offer Punjabi, leaving a gap that families want to fill to keep traditions alive across generations. Parents notice big changes in their kids. One mom says her son is more social now, recites the alphabet proudly and can't wait for class. Others share how children connect better with grandparents in India and beg to attend even after a full school week. The school doubles as a community hub for parents too. Under preet kind has started it in 2021 after forming a local group three years earlier.

1:01Volunteer teachers and families host birthdays, the Wally parties, and a yearly concert with dinners and performances. They even took students on a field trip to stay parliament this year. Sharing ideas with a similar school in Ballarat, the group keeps building strong bonds that everyone cherishes. We'd like to thank our sponsor for making this episode possible. One chase piece, I put my head in it, S-O-L-I, SullyPillow.com, SullyPillow.com.