00:04This end of year concert looks a little different to those in most Victorian schools.
00:12These students, aged from 4 to 16, are performing to a proud community.
00:20It starts here, Geelong's Virasati Punjabi School, which opens at 5pm every Friday, when
00:26most other students have switched off.
00:28For many, Punjabi school is their favourite part of the week.
00:32I'm always happy to come here and see my friends.
00:35They always wait for Friday, yeah, if it came from Friday, or what time it is, or when
00:40we're going to go, they're always happy to come here.
00:42I don't think so, she always said, no I don't want to go to Punjabi class, and we never have
00:46to push her.
00:47Gurvir Kaur enrolled her four year old son because there were no kinder places available
00:53locally.
00:53I'm feeling so happy because my son, I can see the difference, his behaviour, and he's
01:00developing social skills.
01:03He's now learning the English and Punjabi alphabet.
01:13Other students appreciate being able to communicate with older generations.
01:18I like how they teach Punjabi and how we can communicate with our grandparents because they
01:24don't know English.
01:25I could talk to my grandparents more, go around the community, talk to them, relate to them.
01:31The school began in 2021 with 15 students, now it has 53.
01:36It's also an important social opportunity for parents.
01:40After a full week at work, we come here, talk to each other, relax, have a chat, and it's
01:46a beautiful thing.
01:47Keeping cultural traditions alive.
01:50Keeping cultural traditions alive.
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