‘Apeejay Noida prepares students for a meaningful life journey’

Harsh Khanna, Deputy Manager, HR, with HCL Technologies, is the father of Apeejay Noida kindergarten student Abeer Khanna. In an interview, Mr Khanna shares his reasons for choosing the school, his son’s improved communication skills and the essential knowledge that teachers are imparting through online classes. Edited excerpts:

Why did you choose Apeejay Noida over other schools for your child’s admission?

Apeejay Noida was my preference because of the feedback that I received from my colleagues whose children study in the school. I live in Ghaziabad at present. One of my immediate goals is to settle in Noida so that was another reason. Also when I asked people in Noida about their opinion on schools in the township, Apeejay Noida was always given the first preference. I have seen the children of colleagues grow exponentially in terms of knowledge and communication. That gave me some rationale to enrol my child here. The academics, the great feedback on the internet and of course the illustrious alumni of the school. These were all crucial reasons for enrolling Abeer at Apeejay Noida. Basically, Apeejay Noida prepares students for a meaningful life. That was it.

Please take us through your child’s progress at school?

Abeer is in kindergarten right now, so he missed out going to the school physically due to the pandemic.  He has only attended the online classes so far but I have still noticed him evolving a lot, especially in terms of his communication skills.  There are a lot of kids in my extended family, when I compare him with the other kids, I find him to be very confident. I have noticed his confidence in several instances. If he doesn’t know how to communicate a particular thing in English, he would still try.  He has the confidence to try, stand up again and deliver it. The eagerness of learning and showcasing yourself at such an early age is commendable. Generally, five year olds are very shy but what I like most about him is his confidence level. His confidence might be inherent to him but the way his personality has shaped up in the last two years (since began attending online classes) is commendable.

Are the teachers engaging well with the students?

Absolutely. I have seen two teachers here. His Nursery class teacher, Ms. Sabdhya Mehta. She was a very sweet natured teacher, which is essential for a child joining the school for the first time. She used to teach the kids like a mother.

Since he got all that attention in the initial year, now it was important that he gets a strict teacher. So Ms. Ritu Khare, his current class teacher in KG, is playing that role.

She gives the students instructions that they should not eat, yawn or sleep during the class. It is essential for students who have never been to school.  

 What is the best thing about Apeejay, Noida?

I have noticed a lot of confidence in my child. I am very hopeful that the confidence level keeps increasing with the beginning of the physical classes.

He has an eagerness to perform and he is very focused during his classes. The teachers give so much attention to every child in the class that I don’t need a separate tutor to teach my child at home.

The results I see after two years of schooling at Apeejay Noida are very soothing to me as a parent. I don’t mind spending more years with the school.

What is your perception about the online classes?

That’s the need of the hour. Many parents may not prefer their kid to go to the school in the present times. Abeer is too young. I understand that it isn’t possible for a teacher in the class to maintain social distancing at all times. So, I am very happy with the virtual classes. The students are engaged, they know that they have to be ready for a class at nine in the morning. As a parent, I wouldn’t pressure the school to go for physical classes. I would rather wait for another 4-5 months and observe the situation.