‘Apeejay School, Pitampura, is making a lot of effort to bring out the best in our children’

Thanks to Apeejay School, Pitampura, Rudransh Bhardwaj, who is now in class 3, is no longer the shy boy that he used to b be, but is growing up as a confident individual, says his mother Dr Ritu Pandey, assistant professor, Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, University of Delhi. In an interview, Dr Pandey discusses the school’s “excellent” pedagogy, students’ bond with teachers, and more. Edited excerpts:

Why did you choose Apeejay School, Pitampura?

Rudransh is my first child and at the time of his admission, I was not very aware of the pedagogy in schools. But everybody recommended Apeejay School, Pitampura. To begin with, Apeejay’s reputation precedes other schools. Apart from that I also looked into the school alumni, whose profiles were impressive. I also had a student from Apeejay in my college, who was brilliant. When I asked her about the school, she said it offered the best kind of classes and clarified all concepts. Many other parents also assured me of the quality of education at Apeejay. In fact, my husband Ankur Bhardwaj and I are really happy that my son studies in the school.

What do you think of Apeejay’s teaching methodologies?

Through online classes, I was able to witness the teaching-learning process at Apeejay. The methods the teachers use are excellent because they try to inculcate practical-based learning. My son has value education classes, in which they are taught the right behaviour to adopt in one’s day-to-day life—how to respect and help others, and so on. In one of those classes, they taught how to manage things on their own if the mother is unwell. Not every school teaches things like these. In a way, the teachers are preparing them for the future, way in advance.

Covid has changed our lives and has impacted children’s mental well-being. During the initial days of the pandemic, my son was extremely stressed. But the school helped him immensely by engaging him in so many co-curricular activities. My son had really forgotten that he was confined in his house. Apeejay is making a lot of effort to bring out the best in our kids.

What methods do teachers use to explain a particular topic?

Teachers always incorporate audio-visual clips for every topic. From storytelling to DIY activities at home, they adopt various ways to make the classes interesting and increase children’s retention power. The classes are definitely not just based on reading from books. The teacher also asks a lot of questions to each and every student.

As a parent, what kind of a relationship do you share with the teachers?

When I contracted Covid, my son’s class teacher reached out to me and offered me help. She was very patient and gave us ample time to complete the homework. His current class teacher also keeps interacting with every student to know if they and their family members are doing well and try to help them in whatever way possible.

What improvements have you seen in your child till now?

Earlier, Rudransh used to be very shy. He was not able to speak much. But as he started going to Apeejay, he opened up more and started speaking properly. Now, he hosts school assemblies, takes part in debate and elocution, and wins laurels. He is doing equally well in academics. Rudransh has shown a lot of progress. He has developed an interest in reading as well; he has already started reading Ruskin Bond’s books, thanks to the teachers who always encourage him.