The school board confirmed today that Diwali will now be a recognized holiday for everyone in the district. It has been a long and draining road to reach this point but your persistence forced them to listen. We should take a moment to breathe before we turn our attention toward …
December 20, 2017
Final supporters
*This petition is for the eyes of residents of Montgomery Township only*
We, the undersigned of this petition, hereby petition the Montgomery Township School District to take immediate action to re-evaluate their decision to provide those of an Indian or Hindu cultural background with an excused absence on Diwali/Deepavali including and proposing that instead, all students in the school district be given a one day holiday on Diwali starting the 2018 school year.
Public School Review [please refer to the link provided below] informs us that many students of Indian descent celebrate and perform thorough practices for and relating to Diwali. Around 38% of the Montgomery population consists of people of Asian descent and India is the largest source of foreign-born immigrants, consisting of 34.5% of these peoples. We would also like to recognize that not all Indians celebrate Diwali, however a majority too large to undermine does. At this point, Diwali has become more of a cultural aspect of being Indian, rather than a purely religious aspect. This means that while the celebration does retain its religious importance and practice, it extends to a vast amount of Indians whether they believe in Hinduism (India’s largest religion base), Jainism, Sikhism, and in some cases, Christianity.
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/montgomery-high-school-profile/08558
As religious minorities grow in number, they strive for inclusion. In schools as diverse as the Montgomery Township School District public schools with a diversity score of 0.57 (and rising), minorities deserve to be given importance especially regarding matters so crucial. Growing diversity trends should persuade districts such as Montgomery from being exclusively Judeo-Christian in their academic holidays given. The academic calendar should reflect the district’s substantial Hindu population so that children who celebrate Diwali are not held at a disadvantage.
Although an excused absence is offered, it is an absence nonetheless thus allowing students to miss educational opportunities and have to makeup tests while their classmates and peers are held at no setback. Furthermore, in the 2017 school year, the district’s “No Homework Night” falls the night before Diwali, therefore forcing those who wish to celebrate the holiday to do their homework on a day meant for family time, thus depriving kids of this district practice, as well. Students also experience obvious stress as the length of the festival is nine days, therefore taking up a lot of time and cutting into other aspects of their daily life.
Other townships in the area have also acknowledged their Indian population and those who celebrate Diwali. This emphasizes the practicality of this adjustment that should be made and the importance that should be given to it in Montgomery. Said townships include West Windsor North, South Brunswick, and Edison.
It is for these reasons we demand the Montgomery Township Board of Education immediately acts to address our concerns regarding the academic holidays given to students in the district, especially Diwali. We favor an accepting calendar that acknowledges the needs of all or significant groups of citizens that will maintain our competitive curriculum in a fair way, especially in comparison to similar districts and surrounding districts. For years people have called attention to this issue and it is time that it is finally recognized.
The readers of this petition should consider the effects of the current school calendar on the students who celebrate Diwali and give Montgomery’s significant celebrating population importance.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
October 19, 2017
Reached 100 supporters
October 19, 2017
October 17, 2017
The feedback from the district remains dismissive even as our numbers rise toward the next milestone. I am exhausted by this back and forth but we have to keep pushing until they can no longer look away.
60 Comments
Thank you for taking this initiative. This year's no HW evening made no sense, hopefully the future calendars can be adjusted to accommodate a day off.
Ok so there is one thing that you might have to change about this. They have already solidifyed the calendar for the 17-18 and 18-19 school year, and I already talked to Mr. Pachuta about this; he told me that this would only be put into effect the 19-20 school year. Other wise I am fully on board with this.
I'm an alumni and resident of Montgomery and I firmly believe that the district needs to stop their discriminatory practices to give only Jewish and Christian students and families certain privileges that other religious minorities miss out on. Not only are they stripped of their chance to experience and learn about their cultural religion, and family, but they also are kept from their educational rights. These practices are outdated, irrelevant, and prejudiced, and therefore need to be amended.
As a student of Indian descent, I feel as though this is very important. I am forced to come to school on a day of celebration and be prepared for tests the following classes.
I believe this petition will serve a great deal of importance for the Hindu community. My family is religious and we are extremely disappointed to hear of absence of this holiday. It is discriminatory towards Hindus to acknowledge other religions (many of which are even lesser present than Hinduism) and ignore our holidays. our poojas (religious ceremonies) are shortened and rushed and we are not able to pay our respects as desired. this issue of ignoring such a holiday and completely disregarding a growing minority has been going on for years and it must come to an end.
We have so many religions in India but Diwali is biggest fear one. We have good Indian kids at Montgomery school district and we will be really happy when on Diwali kids can celebrate with parents like back in India.
Yes Diwali is celebrated by a majority of people from India and Indian born or from Indian origin has a significant presence in schools. It’s hard to celebrate Diwali when kids are at school, requesting to provide one day holiday at Diwali each year
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The school board confirmed today that Diwali will now be a recognized holiday for everyone in the district. It has been a long and draining road to reach this point but your persistence forced them to listen. We should take a moment to breathe before we turn our attention toward …
December 20, 2017
Final supporters
*This petition is for the eyes of residents of Montgomery Township only*
We, the undersigned of this petition, hereby petition the Montgomery Township School District to take immediate action to re-evaluate their decision to provide those of an Indian or Hindu cultural background with an excused absence on Diwali/Deepavali including and proposing that instead, all students in the school district be given a one day holiday on Diwali starting the 2018 school year.
Public School Review [please refer to the link provided below] informs us that many students of Indian descent celebrate and perform thorough practices for and relating to Diwali. Around 38% of the Montgomery population consists of people of Asian descent and India is the largest source of foreign-born immigrants, consisting of 34.5% of these peoples. We would also like to recognize that not all Indians celebrate Diwali, however a majority too large to undermine does. At this point, Diwali has become more of a cultural aspect of being Indian, rather than a purely religious aspect. This means that while the celebration does retain its religious importance and practice, it extends to a vast amount of Indians whether they believe in Hinduism (India’s largest religion base), Jainism, Sikhism, and in some cases, Christianity.
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/montgomery-high-school-profile/08558
As religious minorities grow in number, they strive for inclusion. In schools as diverse as the Montgomery Township School District public schools with a diversity score of 0.57 (and rising), minorities deserve to be given importance especially regarding matters so crucial. Growing diversity trends should persuade districts such as Montgomery from being exclusively Judeo-Christian in their academic holidays given. The academic calendar should reflect the district’s substantial Hindu population so that children who celebrate Diwali are not held at a disadvantage.
Although an excused absence is offered, it is an absence nonetheless thus allowing students to miss educational opportunities and have to makeup tests while their classmates and peers are held at no setback. Furthermore, in the 2017 school year, the district’s “No Homework Night” falls the night before Diwali, therefore forcing those who wish to celebrate the holiday to do their homework on a day meant for family time, thus depriving kids of this district practice, as well. Students also experience obvious stress as the length of the festival is nine days, therefore taking up a lot of time and cutting into other aspects of their daily life.
Other townships in the area have also acknowledged their Indian population and those who celebrate Diwali. This emphasizes the practicality of this adjustment that should be made and the importance that should be given to it in Montgomery. Said townships include West Windsor North, South Brunswick, and Edison.
It is for these reasons we demand the Montgomery Township Board of Education immediately acts to address our concerns regarding the academic holidays given to students in the district, especially Diwali. We favor an accepting calendar that acknowledges the needs of all or significant groups of citizens that will maintain our competitive curriculum in a fair way, especially in comparison to similar districts and surrounding districts. For years people have called attention to this issue and it is time that it is finally recognized.
The readers of this petition should consider the effects of the current school calendar on the students who celebrate Diwali and give Montgomery’s significant celebrating population importance.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
October 19, 2017
Reached 100 supporters
October 19, 2017
October 17, 2017
The feedback from the district remains dismissive even as our numbers rise toward the next milestone. I am exhausted by this back and forth but we have to keep pushing until they can no longer look away.
60 Comments
As a student who now has to spend the whole day not with my family celebrating, but at school learning about the 1930s economy and how to interpret Darwinian evidence of evolution, I think that the district needs to consider the fact that when the majority of students celebrate a religious holiday, it would be wise to give them off to celebrate their individual heritage in an important way.
Thank you for taking this initiative. This year's no HW evening made no sense, hopefully the future calendars can be adjusted to accommodate a day off.
Ok so there is one thing that you might have to change about this. They have already solidifyed the calendar for the 17-18 and 18-19 school year, and I already talked to Mr. Pachuta about this; he told me that this would only be put into effect the 19-20 school year. Other wise I am fully on board with this.
I'm an alumni and resident of Montgomery and I firmly believe that the district needs to stop their discriminatory practices to give only Jewish and Christian students and families certain privileges that other religious minorities miss out on. Not only are they stripped of their chance to experience and learn about their cultural religion, and family, but they also are kept from their educational rights. These practices are outdated, irrelevant, and prejudiced, and therefore need to be amended.
As a student of Indian descent, I feel as though this is very important. I am forced to come to school on a day of celebration and be prepared for tests the following classes.
I believe this petition will serve a great deal of importance for the Hindu community. My family is religious and we are extremely disappointed to hear of absence of this holiday. It is discriminatory towards Hindus to acknowledge other religions (many of which are even lesser present than Hinduism) and ignore our holidays. our poojas (religious ceremonies) are shortened and rushed and we are not able to pay our respects as desired. this issue of ignoring such a holiday and completely disregarding a growing minority has been going on for years and it must come to an end.
We have so many religions in India but Diwali is biggest fear one. We have good Indian kids at Montgomery school district and we will be really happy when on Diwali kids can celebrate with parents like back in India.
Yes Diwali is celebrated by a majority of people from India and Indian born or from Indian origin has a significant presence in schools. It’s hard to celebrate Diwali when kids are at school, requesting to provide one day holiday at Diwali each year
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As a student who now has to spend the whole day not with my family celebrating, but at school learning about the 1930s economy and how to interpret Darwinian evidence of evolution, I think that the district needs to consider the fact that when the majority of students celebrate a religious holiday, it would be wise to give them off to celebrate their individual heritage in an important way.