Apeejay School, Model Town, Jalandhar, has made online learning more intimate and engaging: Neetu Dutta

Neetu Dutta is a Coding instructor at DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jalandhar while her husband, Manoj Dutta, is Head of English Department at Police DAV Public School, Jalandhar. They are proud parents of Mitesh Dutta, a class 6 student of Apeejay School, Model Town, Jalandhar. In an interview, Ms. Neetu decodes how the school is following the best practices to make the most of online teaching.

What made you pick Apeejay over other schools?
One of my colleagues recommended Apeejay to me as her son was studying in the school. I had minutely observed her son and I was quite impressed with his overall development. He was as good in academics as he was in extracurricular activities. When I met the school teachers personally, I found them to be extremely polite. Hence, we picked Apeejay and got Mitesh admitted to LKG.

Are you satisfied with the school?
I’ve had a fantastic experience with the school till now. My son is flourishing in both academics as well as extracurricular activities. The school has left no stone unturned for the development of students. For instance, the teachers have come up with innovative techniques to make online learning fun. They make use of pictures, videos, computer games and PPTs to capture each student’s attention, and convey ideas effectively. To improve the speaking skills of students, the teachers also organise ‘Talk Show’ and ‘Mike Show’. Recently, Mitesh delivered an online speech paying homage to Late Dr. Stya Paul (Founder Chairman, Apeejay Stya Group & Apeejay Education Society) on his death anniversary. Mitesh never stutters while speaking in front of an audience. The credit for it goes to the school.  Mitesh is also consistently topping his class.

Are teachers doing enough to make online classes engaging?
From the first day of online teaching, teachers are giving their best shot. I hear parents from other schools complaining that teachers pay little or no attention to students during online classes. I always tell them that the teachers of Apeejay are different. They are putting their heart and soul and have made online learning more intimate and engaging. In fact, the classes are so interesting that I feel like taking them on a regular basis (laughs). Teachers don’t allow students to take classes with the camera off. Even on weekends, students are assigned exciting non-academic activities to keep them occupied.

Share with us some memorable moments.
I will share with you a couple of them. This year, the school organised a drive-through Republic Day celebration on the school campus. When we reached the school, Principal Ma’am asked Mitesh to give an impromptu speech on Republic Day. Since Mitesh was unprepared, I requested the Principal to excuse him. But, the Principal insisted that it would be a cakewalk for Mitesh. Finally, Mitesh went on to the stage and gave a fantastic speech. I had tears in my eyes. I would like to share another instance that’s close to my heart. Mitesh won a Quiz Competition when he was in UKG. Around 100 students participated in the competition and there were multiple rounds. Mitesh told us that he had won the competition, but we didn’t believe him. Next day, during the Annual Day function we were pleasantly surprised to hear his name being called out from the stage for winning the Quiz Competition.  

“Parents have the contact number of every teacher and they can easily get in touch with them for any query. The best part is that teachers are extremely polite. The school has contributed immensely to the overall development of my son. I will recommend Apeejay to others without a hitch.”

Ms. Neetu Dutta