Dinesh Gaikwad, father of Pranav Gaikwad, a student of class 11 at Apeejay School Panchsheel Park, says his son has undergone holistic development, from academic prowess to his personality, with the help of his school. In an interview, Gaikwad, Managing Director of Ingenium Technologies Private Limited, talks about how the encouragement from teachers helped his son progress. Edited excerpts:
What made you pick Apeejay School Panchsheel Park?
Pranav joined this school in nursery. We primarily chose Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park, owing to its proximity to our home. But his journey has been really good.
What kind of progress have you seen in your son?
Pranav has definitely progressed a lot. The teachers have supported and honed his abilities in a very good way. When he got admitted to nursery, he was a bright child and has only improved since then. I have been seeing that with every class that he is going in, he is becoming better and better. He is winning awards, participating in extra-curricular activities and also doing equally well in academics. Defining the abilities of a child and giving them opportunities is important and my son has received them.
Apeejay schools aim at a child’s holistic development. What about Pranav?
Pranav can answer any question you ask him. His knowledge base and overall personality have improved. All of that is because of the opportunities that he got, not just in academics but also in other fields. He is the president of one of the activity clubs. He was the Vice boy and then became the Head boy, and he has been able to live up to expectations.
Schools today have moved beyond rote learning. In what ways has Pranav benefited from the advanced methods of teaching at Apeejay?
From what I have observed, Pranav’s knowledge base is not just theoretical, but he also has an in-depth understanding of its practical implementation. This actually shows that his education is not just at the book level.
What was your experience with respect to online classes?
The teachers have done their best to conduct the classes and meet the expectations and rules laid down by the government. We cannot ignore the limitations, of course, but the teachers have managed virtual classrooms very well. I have seen how they actually maintain decorum in these classes even from the other side of the screen.
Disha Roy Choudhury is a Principal Correspondent at Apeejay Newsroom. She has worked as a journalist at different media organisations. She is also passionate about music and has participated in reality shows.