‘Apeejay Noida teachers give enough breaks in between online classes to reduce effects of screen-time’

“I am a very happy and satisfied parent,” says Shweta Negi while talking about her daughters’ progress at Apeejay School, Noida. Her elder daughter Eva is in class 6 and Ira is in class 1. While talking about the teachers, she says they make a lot of effort in helping children prepare lessons in the class itself. She shares more details in an interview. Edited excerpts:

What made you consider Apeejay School, Noida for your children?

Initially, when we were shortlisting schools for our elder daughter Eva, we were mostly looking for those that would be close to our house or my husband Deepak Negi’s office. Apeejay was close to Deepak’s office, so we chose it for our daughter. We enrolled Ira too because we were very satisfied with the school.

So, what exactly did you like about the school?

We like everything about the school–from the teachers to the curriculum and the overall environment. The learning process has been very smooth so far with no gaps whatsoever. The school endeavours to boost a child’s overall personality.

How has your elder daughter Eva improved since she joined the school in nursery?

Eva has evolved over the years. The teachers have been very encouraging right from the beginning. Eva has been taking kathak and flute lessons privately but that has never been at the cost of compromising her academic assignments. The reason she has been able to maintain a balance is that most of the studying is completed in the classes through quizzes, extensive revisions, and other exercises. The teachers are doing a great job, I think.

From science experiments to audio-visual aid, teachers use several methods to explain concepts. Eva takes a lot of interest in Social Science (SST). Prior to the online classes, Eva and her classmates were taken on a trip to Humanyun’s Tomb, where their teacher told them about the monument’s history. Such practices play a significant role in developing children’s interest in studying. I often see my daughter googling historical events and facts; she is eager to learn, which in itself is a great development.

Is Ira comfortable with the online classes?

Ira loves the classes. They have various quiz competitions and other activities in class that keep them involved. I am very happy.

How well are the students engaging in an online class?

They have been going very smoothly. Every child in the class is attentive and interacts freely with the teachers. Their knowledge is vast, and they are always answering questions in class. In the case of my children, I do not need to sit with them for the classes; even my younger daughter is able to manage pretty well on her own. The credit, of course, goes to the teachers who, despite all odds, have been doing such a good job.

There’s some contention about children’s increased screen time owing to the online classes. But at Apeejay, the teachers maintain a balance by giving children 10-20 min breaks in between classes so that they are not staring at their screen continuously. Ira also has special reading sessions after regular classes, which is a good practice.