‘Apeejay prepares students to become global citizens’

Sachin Shukla is working as Deputy General Manager, Pre-Sales Head – Cyber Security at Hitachi Systems. He is the proud parent of Nikhil Shukla. In a candid interview, Sachin explains how the school helped his 9-year-old son adjust to the new environment and taught him essential life skills. Edited excerpts:  

What made you pick Apeejay over others?

We were in the US for about 12 years’ before moving back to India in 2018. Being an alumnus of Apeejay School – Panchsheel Park, I am aware of the ethos of Apeejay schools. The group has over 50 years’ of experience in delivering quality education and over time has won the trust of parents. Since I had a great learning experience in school, it was obvious for me to pick Apeejay for Nikhil. Apeejay Saket being just a stone’s throw from my house was my preferred choice. I got Nikhil enrolled in class 1.

Has Apeejay managed to live up to your expectations?

Absolutely! Nikhil is in such love with the school that he has a 100 percent attendance since joining Apeejay. Even the pandemic has failed to put a break on learning. The school has done a tremendous job in focussing in all aspects of educational endeavour from academics to sports, music and dance to computers. I am also grateful to the school for making my son adjust to the new environment after we returned to the US. His Hindi speaking skills were good but writing skills needed a lot of work. The teachers put in a huge amount of effort to improve his writing skills and make him feel at home. As a result he is good in academics and extracurricular activities. He participates regularly in singing and music competitions along with sporting events. He is good at Football and Tennis.

A lot of parents nowadays give special emphasis on the holistic development of their children. Why is it so?

Technological advancement and global interconnectedness has changed the way we work and live together. Students when they grow up will have to communicate and collaborate with people whose perspectives may differ from their own. A globally competent student must have decision-making skills, communication skills, focus and self-control, resilience, problem solving and critical thinking skills. The holistic development helps students to imbibe all of the above aspects. Apeejay is known for preparing students to become global citizens. Also, it gives extra attention to sports which is essential to improve mental, physical and social well-being of students.

How have teachers fared during the pandemic?

They have been exceptional. They have remained in constant touch with students and parents to allay their doubts. Teachers must be credited for acclimatising themselves with a wide range of online tools to make education accessible, fun, creative and engaging for children.

Share with us your most memorable moment.

I am deeply touched by how the teachers took special care to ensure Nikhil got adjusted to the new environment. Coming from the US, it was not easy for my son to get accustomed to the new way of life, but credit to teachers for making that happen.