‘I am glad that I put my son in this school’

Choosing the right kind of school is not an easy task for any parent. This is because the school that is chosen will be the place where the child will remain till class XII. Hence, parents move heaven and earth to find the best possible school even if it means that the child will come long distances.

But for other parents looking for a school that is near to where they live is a priority. They want to be near their child in case there is an emergency and the parent needs to reach the school within a few minutes. The fact that the child is home early and gives him/her time to pursue other interests is an added advantage that parents want to cash on.

For Garima Soni, whose son – Yaduveer – studies at Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg, it was her husband Manik Soni who was adamant that their son study at this school. “There were a couple of reasons. He is an alumnus of the school. Second, he was backed by his entire family that he went to this school. There was little that I could do in that case,” Garima said.

Excerpts from the interview.

Did you have another school in mind for your son?

Yes. I did look at other schools. I was not convinced, at the beginning, that Apeejay would be the right school for Yaduveer. But now that he has been here for a year, I am happy that I went with my husband’s choice.

How has his learning curve been?

It is excellent. Whatever is being taught to him, he has picked it up brilliantly. I would give credit for this to the teachers of this school. They are really good at their work; their teaching methodology is good. My son was a bit shy when he joined Apeejay but due to the teachers and the way they push kids to participate in various activities that the school organises, he has lost some of his shyness and is now well-settled and even comes forward to participate in the school activities.

How important is it for you that school offers varied co-curricular activities?

I would say it is very important. So much so that from the next session I will enroll him in the football class. He is young but he wants to do this. I don’t want to discourage him from playing a sport. I will give you my son’s example. The fact that the school offers so many activities and he has participated in many of them is reflecting on him. He has become more confident.

While being studious is good, a student should also have holistic development – it is the need of the hour. Yaduveer is a fast runner. At the Sports Day that was organised recently, he participated in the athletic event and won the race.

How do you teach an only child the importance of sharing?

Besides the teachers at the school, who put in a lot of effort to teach the students the importance of human values, we at home also make a conscious effort to ensure that Yaduveer learns good values. My in-laws live with us and he has a great relationship with them. Children learn from observing their parents. They will do as the parents do. Therefore, it is important to become your child’s role model. Also, the last two years, due to the COVID-19, kids were at home so it was easy to teach them to respect their elders.

How tough is it to be on your guard all the time and ensure that you don’t do or say something that is out of place?

To be honest, this is not always possible. As parents, we also make mistakes. But the minute this happens we must tell our children that we are humans too and can make mistakes and apologise for the same. After all, as parents, it is our duty to make sure that our children walk the correct path and become moral citizens.

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The teachers here are really good; their teaching methodology is good. My son was a bit shy when he joined Apeejay but due to the teachers and the way they push kids to participate in various activities, he has lost some of his shyness

–Garima Soni, Mother of Student at Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg

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If parents have made a mistake should they apologise to their children?

I think we should. This will help the child understand that if a mistake has been made, then he/she must apologise – be it their friends, or elders.

How is the teaching methodology?

I would say that it is very good. Because it is so interactive and not bookish at all, he has picked up new words and even started using them when he speaks to us at home. His teacher, Alina ma’am, is very good. If I need to meet any of the teachers, they are always available. Also, if I send them a text, I always get a prompt reply.