Ontario woman creates 'patka box' for teachers to help Sikh students

An educator and entrepreneur from Caledon, Ont. has created a resource for teachers to help them tie a patka, in order to help out Sikh children who might lose theirs or have them untie during the school day.

It's called the Patka Box, and it was created by Rosey Kaur, owner of Early Concepts.

"I am hoping that this box will inspire teachers, inspire schools and students, that we must respect every student that walks into a classroom," she told CBC News.

In Sikh culture, it's traditional for people to keep long hair. Sikh boys often tie their hair into a small topknot called a joora, and wrap it with a small turban cloth called a patka.

Kaur said the inspiration for the box came from a teacher who lives in her community, who asked if she could help her tie a patka on a student after theirs came off during gym class.

"I want every teacher to have the knowledge on what the patka is," she said.

You can learn more about Kaur's story in the video above.