‘For every topic taught at Apeejay International, students are made to do their own research’

The International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum allows students to think beyond textbooks, says Shrimoyee Mathur, whose children are studying in Apeejay School International, South Delhi. Her son Aaditya is in the eighth grade while her daughter Aahana is in grade 3. In an interview, the mother, who runs her own business of handcrafted products called Asmita Ateliers, elaborates further on how Apeejay is honing her children’s overall personality. Read on:

What is it that makes IB curriculum different from the others?

We have been living in different countries where the schools that Aaditya studied in followed a similar IB pattern. We have always wanted our kids to delve deeper into any subject they study rather than being worried about just cramming a massive syllabus. My husband and I wanted an all-round development for our children, something that IB offers. Aaditya has been in an IB curriculum school ever since he finished kindergarten. This was also the reason we enrolled our daughter as well in the IB curriculum.

Why did you opt for Apeejay International School?

My husband is an alumnus of Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai. When we moved from Bengaluru to Delhi a couple of years ago, we got to know Apeejay has an IB school. We heard good reviews about the school from our acquaintances. So, Apeejay School International was the one we opted for.

IB curriculum involves practical-based learning. To meet the standards, what approach do teachers at Apeejay School International take when it comes to explaining a concept?

Both in primary and middle years, we noticed that the students are introduced to a range of concepts, like soil, solar system, my community, etc. For each of the topics, the students have to do their own research. For instance, the students dug up soil at the campus to study its features. For the lesson on the solar system, they had to make their own presentations or models. My daughter also learned about her community, the infrastructure, and facilities it constitutes, etc. Such learning exercises promote freethinking. Similarly, in Aaditya’s class, the students were made to watch a movie, interpret it on their own and prepare a write up. In History, they were taught about Egypt and were made to do some research on it.

I think it is very important for a child to look beyond what is given in a textbook and try to gather information on their own. By doing these projects with their classmates, the students also learn teamwork.

Apeejay emphasises on the overall development of children. Apart from academic projects, what other exposure does the school provide to shape children?

Physical classes at Apeejay School International began in February. Prior to this, they were having online classes. In these few months, the school organised interesting activities to get the kids back on track, from sports day to graduation day ceremony and annual day. In this short span, my children realised what it means to be going to school physically. They participated in various extra-curricular activities. 

Are you able to have regular interaction with the school faculty and get useful feedback?

Initially, we had some concerns regarding Aaditya since he was not feeling motivated enough. We reached out to the middle year programme (MYP) coordinator Pragati ma’am who helped us by giving suggestions. The teachers also encourage him to express his ideas. Meanwhile, we are regularly in touch with the class teachers who assist us when required.

In the junior class especially, the teachers are very involved. We get updates and messages on the WhatsApp groups quite regularly. Overall, I am very satisfied with my interaction with the teachers.