‘Apeejay has made my 8-year-old daughter self-reliant and organised’

Watan Singh is in the Indian Army while her spouse Mukesh Kumari is a teacher. They are proud parents of Naitri, who has been studying in Apeejay School Charkhi Dadri, Haryana since Nursery. In a candid interview, Mr. Watan shed light on the progress made by her daughter since joining the school. Edited excerpts:

What made you pick Apeejay?

I studied in Delhi and realised that the best schools in the capital employ engaging teaching techniques. When I shifted to Charkhi Dadri in 2015 I was worried whether or not I would be able to find a good school. I took the advice of locals to select the best school for my child and that’s how I came to know about Apeejay. Still, to be doubly sure, I visited almost all the schools in and around Charkhi Dadri to gain a first-hand experience of their pedagogical practices. I believe that ‘it’s how you teach, not just what you teach,’ that matters. When I meticulously observed the teaching techniques of Apeejay teachers I found them to be top-notch. As you can make out, I was extremely particular to select the best school as a good early education is necessary to lay a solid foundation for the growth of your child. A plant with deep roots flourishes.  

Take us through the progress of your child since joining Apeejay.

A remarkable improvement that is glaringly visible in Naitri is that she has become self-reliant and organised. Whatever homework or tasks are assigned to her, she first tries to execute them by herself. During the onset of the pandemic, I taught her how to operate the laptop and after a couple of months she stopped taking any sort of help from us for academic or any other purposes. The credit for it goes to her teachers. They guide us not to spoon-feed Naitri and encourage her to explore and learn. Naitri is also well-organised as she keeps a notepad containing her to-do list. During the pandemic, no other school put so much emphasis on keeping students engaged as much as Apeejay did. It’s not just about studies, for instance, before the commencement of online classes students were made to do yoga. What I also liked is that teachers used to take online classes from the school, not from the confines of their homes. They also encouraged students to speak in English during online classes. There are no words to express my thanks to teachers.

Share with us your memorable moments.

In class 3,Naitri dressed up as Jhansi Ki Rani during an online event. Due to the nature of my job, it’s difficult for me to be physically present when she is performing. Hence, watching her perform live gave me immense joy. Also, I give a lot of importance to being comfortable on stage because it helps remove hesitancy, fear and make a child more confident.