‘Holistic development is a must for kids today’

One doesn’t have to be a genius to guess which school the alma mater of Apeejay School, Faridabad in Sector 15 would choose for her children once they were old enough to start their education. Choosing Apeejay School, Faridabad came organically for this dentist-mother – Dr Mandakini Shukla with her practice at Expert Dental Clinic in Faridabad.

“As an Alma Mater of Apeejay School in Faridabad, choosing this school for my children came organically to me. I was well aware of the infrastructure and the teaching methodology. I also knew the co-curricular activities that the school had to offer to its students. This is exactly what I was looking for – a holistic development,” Dr Shukla said.

Excerpts from an interview.

What classes are your children in?

I have three kids; one is in class VII (Pehal) and the younger ones (Prakhar and Prakriti) – twins – are in class III. All three of them joined the school right from the nursery. I chose Apeejay because, over the years, the school has only improved. We have only heard good things about this school. Almost everybody in Faridabad has heard the name of this school.

What have been some of the changes introduced since you passed out?

The best thing has been the introduction of the worksheets – the extra assignments. This was not there when I was in school. I must appreciate the extra effort that is being taken by the teachers. These assignments/worksheets are the need of the hour. Pehal too gets her assignments and these worksheets help in having more knowledge about what is being taught in the class including the basics.

How is it helping your children?

The best part of the worksheets is that these are prepared very nicely after thorough research. My kids gain a lot of knowledge and gather information while doing these assignments. The good part is that this work doesn’t give the impression that the child is taking an exam; it is more like an activity sheet and my younger twins enjoy attempting them.

How are your children doing academically?

All of them are doing rather well academically and in co-curricular activities as well. The younger ones are picking up things faster now that they attend offline school. They have been participating in all the activities the school has organised this academic year including the competitions held in the school. My elder one (daughter) plays the sitar. She is also learning how to play volleyball. The younger ones are actively involved in all the sports events.

Why are academics not the only criteria for parents when choosing a school?

Things have changed today. Just being brilliant academically is not enough to excel in life. One has to have a well-rounded personality. This comes into play when you begin your professional journey and deal with people. When it comes to Apeejay, the school has always given equal importance to a child’s personal development; this was there when I was in the school as well. As a parent, my aim has always been that my children get an all-around development so that they can face any challenge that life may throw at them in the future.

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“Just being brilliant academically is not enough to excel in life. One has to have a well-rounded personality. This comes into play when you begin your professional journey and deal with people”

-Dr Mandakini Shukla, Expert Dental Clinic, Faridabad & Mother of
three students at Apeejay School, Faridabad

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How are the teachers at the school?

They are all wonderful. It would be wrong to mention a few and not the rest. Each teacher is brilliant in his/her subject. Their effort during the COVID-19 lockdown and how they conducted online classes is extremely commendable. Even now, with classes resuming offline, the children still need a lot of help and support, especially the younger ones; they have lost a lot in their formative education years.

How are the twins coping with offline classes?

It has been difficult for Prakhar and Prakriti. The whole adjustment to the new environment took time. They had forgotten about what it was like to go to school. But the teachers have helped them settle down including Pooja ma’am; their class teacher. To ensure each student catches up with what is being taught in the class only one topic is taken at a time and the difficulties the students are facing are tackled one at a time. This is helping build clarity about the topic and the subject.

Do you think that academic pressure should be put on the child from the start?

I don’t subscribe to this thinking. This is because a time will come when there will be academic pressure on them automatically and face the same. Putting pressure at a tender age is not required. Kids need to grow, blossom, and have space where they can enjoy this time.