Rabinder Boparai was born in born in Zira, district Ferozepur, Punjab, India, and completed her education in India. She moved to Canada in 2002 and became a teacher at a secondary school level, and has been teaching Punjabi and Science for the past 17 years in Surrey (as of 2023). She considered teaching Punjabi as a challenge and opportunity. One of the most challenging aspects of teaching Punjabi was finding the necessary teaching resources, but she feels that in the past few years, Punjabi teaching resources have increased now that the language is being taught in more schools. Collaboration with other teachers who are teaching the same subject has been a great support for her.
Boparai mentions that in the beginning, she felt that she shouldn’t teach Punjabi, especially because she felt that she didn’t receive the same respect from students that she received as a science teacher. But she feels that over the years there has been a change in this dynamic, and students now respect Punjabi as a subject more, and want to learn the language more
Short promotional video (with English subtitles): How has the status of Punjabi changed in schools? ਸਕੂਲਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲੀ ਦਾ ਹਾਲ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਬਦਲ ਗਿਆ? سکولاں وچ پنجابی دا حال کویں بدل گیا؟
Full interview: