UK’s Eton gets first Hindu tutor
London: Symbolising the growing influence of Hindus in the UK, the Eton College appointed Jay Lakhani, head of the Hindu academy and education director for the Hindu council UK, to the post of parttime Hindu Tutor.
Lakhani’s role will be to provide pastoral support and religious teaching to Hindu boys at the school, and contribute to school inter-faith activities. As religion plays an important role at the Eton college, all the boys studying in the college are expected to take part in week-day chapel services.
For many years, Jewish boys have been able to take instruction from a Jewish tutor during Sunday Chapel, for the last four years, the College has had a Muslim tutor to offer the same service to Muslim boys.
With the appointment of Jay Lakhani, even the Hindu boys will now be offered the same choice.
On his appointment, Lakhani said: “I see this as an exciting opportunity to explore a broader vision of spirituality with the boys at Eton College, particularly how the Hindu idea of spiritual humanism manages to reconcile differences between religious and secular world-views.”
“Religious pluralism offers the best prescription for making religions once again the cohesive force in our society. It is wonderful to see Eton college embracing these wider aspects of personal and spiritual development.” Lakhani said in a statement. PTI