Caledon educator championing inclusion for Sikh boys with “The Patka Box”

February 15, 2023 · 0 Comments

Rosey Kaur wants to bring diversity to the forefront in the community

By Zachary Roman

A patka is a head covering worn by Sikh boys that’s an important part of their faith.

However, many people do not know very much about the patka, even though in Peel schools there are many students wearing them.

A Caledon woman is trying to change that with her new educational tool, “The Patka Box.”

Rosey Kaur is an educator in Valleywood, where she runs a Montessori-based school called Concept1 Learning Centre. She also runs a business, Early Concepts, where she hand-makes early-learning materials for children.

Kaur’s latest creation, The Patka Box, is useful for all ages. Here’s what you’ll find inside each one: two patkas, two wooden patka crafts, a story about the patka, a comprehensive guide on what the patka represents, a step-by-step tutorial on how to tie the patka, and information on the significance of wearing a patka.

The idea to create the patka box came to Kaur after she received a call from a teacher friend. The friend had a Sikh boy in her class, and his patka had come undone and he was crying. Kaur instructed her teacher friend on how to tie the patka via a video call, and once she was done, she realized how beneficial an educational resource about the patka would be.

“I started to think… what can I do?” said Kaur. “Maybe this was a calling for me.”

Kaur said 500 patka boxes are being created right now, and that the response to them has been amazing.

She’s received messages about the patka box from teachers and schools not only locally, but across the country and even in the US and UK. Kaur said in the Sikh community some parents who did not previously know how to tie a patka are learning now.

Two patkas are included in the box so students have a chance to see what the patka feels like.

Since the patka is a religious article of faith, it should never be touched when it’s on someone’s head. By allowing kids to touch a patka on its own, Kaur said it satisfies their curiosity as some just want to know what it feels like. The wooden patka crafts are included so children have a chance to colour and design their own boy wearing a patka.

Kaur said she is all about diversity and inclusion, and that she’s thinking about making more educational boxes. For example, the next box she makes might be about the hijab. A Sikh herself, Kaur said diversity is about including everyone.

“I was raised to love everyone,” said Kaur, whose family was the first Punjabi Sikh family to move to Brantford in 1973. Kaur’s brothers were the first students in schools there to wear patkas.

April is Sikh heritage month and Kaur is hoping to spread the word about her patka boxes before then.

“I want patkas to be known… bringing inclusivity and diversity into our community is my main focus,” said Kaur. “I want to bring this into awareness in the community.”
Those interested in learning more about the patka box and Kaur’s work can email concept1learningcentre@gmail.com or direct message @early_concepts on Instagram.