A Sikh student in your class: what teachers should know

If you have a Sikh child in your class for the first time, the short version is this: some of what the child wears and keeps is religious, not decorative, and the hair and head covering are not touched without permission. Almost everything else takes care of itself. Where something does need arranging, the Sikh Coalition's guidance is that parents and the student should both be part of that discussion.

The five articles of faith, in plain words

Sikhs who have taken formal initiation keep five articles of faith, given by Guru Gobind Singh Ji when he founded the Khalsa at Vaisakhi. Many Sikhs who have not been initiated keep their hair uncut too. Here is what you may see on a child.

• Kesh, uncut hair. This means unshorn hair across the whole body, including facial and body hair, not only the hair of the head. On a younger child the hair is tied up and covered with a patka or rumaal, the smaller head covering used for youths, or with a small dastaar (ਦਸਤਾਰ), the Sikh turban.
• Kangha, a small wooden comb kept in the hair. You will probably never see it.
• Kara, a plain steel or iron bangle, usually worn on the right wrist. It is a reminder of ethical action and it stays on.
• Kachera, a cotton undergarment. Not visible.
• Kirpan, a small religious sword, carried sheathed under the clothing. Some initiated school aged children wear one. More on that below.

They are not jewellery and not a costume.

Why the hair and head covering are left alone

The turban or patka covers the uncut hair and is part of a Sikh's daily uniform. The Sikh Coalition's FAQ is blunt: do not touch someone's turban or hair without asking permission first, and turbans are usually removed only in the privacy of the house.

In classroom terms, do not pat the head, do not straighten the patka to tidy it, and do not ask a child to take it off for a photo, a hat rule, a head check or a dress code. If a covering comes loose, let the child fix it or step out to fix it, and do not let other children handle it. If something genuinely has to come off, that conversation belongs with the parents, not with the child in front of the class.

The kirpan and school policy

The kirpan is a small religious sword. The Sikh Coalition's kirpan fact sheet says kirpans are typically sheathed and worn with a gatra, a strap, underneath clothing. It stands for the commitment to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Some school aged children who are initiated Sikhs wear one.

How a kirpan is handled at a particular school is worked out case by case. That decision sits with your administration, not with you in the classroom. Pass it on, and let the family know the Sikh Coalition publishes a ready made kirpan accommodation letter for parents to send to a school, and has a legal team families can contact. Do not improvise a rule, and do not ask a child to show you the kirpan.

PE, sports and swimming

Start from the assumption that PE and sport can be made to work. Two practical points come from the Sikh Coalition's guidance on school uniform and sports policies:

• Students wear religious headwear such as a dastaar, patka or rumaal while taking part in athletic activities.
• Sikh girls may be uncomfortable in shorts or a skirt because of unshorn leg hair, and should be allowed to wear tracksuit bottoms or trousers instead if they ask.

Swimming raises the same practical question as any other activity, which is where the head covering and the kara sit. Ask the parents rather than guessing. The same guidance says parents and the student should both be part of any accommodation discussion, and that holds for a swim lesson as much as a uniform policy.

Sikh names, and days a family may mark

Most Sikh surnames are Singh or Kaur. Singh means lion, and Kaur denotes royalty, a sovereign princess. There is a longer explanation in why Sikhs are named Singh and Kaur. Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave these names to remove the caste distinctions that family names carried, with Sikh men sharing Singh and Sikh women sharing Kaur.

So do not assume two children named Singh are brothers, or that a Singh and a Kaur in the same class are unrelated. The given name is the part that tells one child from another, so learn to say it properly and use it.

A few observances may come up. Vaisakhi is the occasion on which the Khalsa was founded. Bandi Chhor Divas recalls Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, who would not accept his own release from imprisonment at Gwalior Fort. Gurpurabs are among the other occasions marked through the year, including Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Gurpurab and Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Gurpurab. A child may be absent for one, and the Sikh Coalition provides a template excused absence letter that a family may hand you.

Small courtesies, and where the formal guidance lives

• Ask the child how to say their name, then say it that way every time.
• Use the proper words. It is a kara, not "that bracelet."
• If another child asks about the patka, answer plainly and move on.
• Do not make the child the class expert on their religion.
• Do not photograph or post a child's articles of faith without the family's permission.
• When in doubt, ask the parents.

For anything formal, the Sikh Coalition is the place to go, and that work is theirs, not the World Sikh Council's. Their Resources for Educators page carries an educator's guide, lesson plans and reading lists by grade level, free printed materials, and professional development for educators and administrators. Their Back to School toolkit and its Resources for Parents page hold the accommodation letters.

Common questions

Do I need to do anything special for a Sikh student?

Mostly no. Leave the hair and head covering alone, let the kara stay on, and teach the child the way you teach everyone else. If something does need arranging, such as PE kit or an absence, the Sikh Coalition's guidance is that parents and the student should both be part of that discussion.

Can I ask a student about their turban?

You can ask respectfully. What you must not do is touch it or ask them to remove it. The Sikh Coalition's FAQ says a turban or hair should not be touched without permission, and that turbans are usually removed only in the privacy of the house.

Does the kara have to come off for PE?

Treat it as an article of faith rather than jewellery, and talk to the parents before asking for it to come off. The Sikh Coalition's guidance is that parents and the student should both be part of any accommodation discussion.

Where does a family get an accommodation letter?

From the Sikh Coalition. Their Resources for Parents page holds template letters covering the dastaar in school and in sports, the kirpan, unshorn facial hair, and excused absences for Sikh religious observances. Their legal team helps families who need more than a template.