Gujarati Classes by Toparani

Gujarati School

The school was started with three volunteers - Arvind Brahmbatt, Sudha Brahmbatt and me, to enable their young children and other community children to learn about their mother tongue, Gujarati. The school first started in Hemel Hempstead Baptist Church, then moved to the Health Centre opposite West Herts College. The classes were running on weekday evenings and at these locations.

Mr Lan Harding’s help – Barncroft school

Then with the help of Mr Lan Harding of Hertfordshire County Council the school moved to Barncroft School in Grove Hill, Hemel Hempstead. My Harding was very helpful in finding the accommodation for the school and the premises were let to us without any renal charges. We were running these classes, initially on Monday evening and then on Saturday mornings. The school headmaster, Mr Day and then Mr Allen were very helpful to us whenever we needed their help. We would like take this opportunity to thank Mr Harding. Mr. Day and Mr Allen and the school caretaker for looking after us so well during our stay there. For one year we were teaching adults to learn Gujarati.

Fund raising

In Barncroft School we used to organize fund raising evenings, such as plays and dances performed by our pupils followed by full Indian dinner. Part of the money raised was given to the school to help them buy essential equipment for the school. The dinner used to be prepared by a few enthusiastic Indian ladies from Dacorum Indian Society without any charge. Tickets were sold to all the children and their parents of the school. In addition, we used to sell tickets to the outside public. We also used to organize school trips to various venues of interest to children and held dance classes for children interested in Bollywood and classical dancing. These classes were conducted by trained teachers in both classical and Bollywood music. There services were provided free of charge.

Literary Academy

We were affiliated to Literary Academy based in Wembley. With the help of Dr Jagdishbhai Dave and Vipulbhai Kalyani, the two prominent volunteers in the organization, we were able to prepare the children for their examinations. We used to sit our children for the examinations set by the Academy board every year. In addition, we used to sit some children for GCSE examinations in Gujarati in local schools. A number of children appeared for both the examinations and achieve good results. We continued teaching in Barncroft School until 2007, when we were told that the school faced closure due to the reduced number of children in the neighbourhood. We were offered an alternative accommodation in another school in Hemel Hempstead where Mr Allen was appointed as Headmaster. However, due to the retirement of the volunteer teachers we did not take up the offer and the school was eventually closed in 2007. We had the privilege of teaching children of the first wave of Indians who came to this country from Uganda in 1972. In addition, there were children of parents who were already settled here before the Ugandan exodus. All in all we used to have over 60 children attending the school at any one time. We would like to thank all the parents who have supported us by braining their children to the school, all the school authorities, all the volunteers who helped us over the past few years and in particular the volunteer teachers who have rendered their selfless services free of charge for good of the children and the community.