‘At Apeejay, educators paid full attention to students during the pandemic’

Rakesh Mate is an architect at Ranjit Sabikhi Architects while his spouse Priyanka Rakesh Mate is a homemaker. Their only child, Rutvi Rakesh Mate, has been studying in Apeejay since Nursery. In a candid interview, Rakesh explains how the school is laying a solid foundation for the growth of his five-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Edited excerpts:

Why did you pick Apeejay?

I would like to point out that parents do due diligence before selecting the right school. They want to pick a school keeping in mind the long term growth of their child. Since Apeejay Panchsheel Park is in my vicinity, I have been actively observing it for many years. Also, my son’s friend was studying in Apeejay and I have closely experienced his progress over the years. He was academically sound and good in co-curricular activities. Hence, it was an easy decision to go with Apeejay.

How has been your journey so far?

Early childhood education is critical to lay a solid foundation and offers a critical window of opportunity to shape the trajectory of a child’s holistic development. I am happy to state that Apeejay has done a fantastic job in the early childhood development of my daughter. Her reading, writing and speaking and calculation skills have seen a remarkable improvement. She is a good speaker and dancer and participates regularly in inter school and intra school competition. She is also a great storyteller and has solid pronunciation skills. She is fast developing into an all-rounder and that could not have been possible without the dedication shown by the teachers, especially during the pandemic.

Tell us more as to how the school responded to the pandemic?

Initially, we were apprehensive as to how the students will cope with online education, but the school left no stone unturned to start the classes on time and make the learning lively and engaging. During the course of pandemic teachers never made half-hearted attempts while teaching or otherwise. They paid full attention to each student in the class and as a result students remained cheerful despite being confined to homes. Even the rehearsal for Annual Day Programmes and other events were done with utmost dedication and professionalism.

Share with us your most memorable moment.

When the school reopened in December, 2021, Rutvi was brimming with joy when she met her classmates and teachers after two years. The whole atmosphere was extremely heart-warming.