‘I want conceptual learning for my daughters’

Each parent provides the best that they can for their children irrespective of their standing in society. And it all starts by giving them the best education that is available within their means. Having a strong academic record with equal importance to the holistic development of the child is what each parent is looking for while choosing a school.

With only a handful of schools that provide this overall development of the child, choosing for her daughters – Naira and Neisha who are now studying in nursery and class I at Apeejay School, Pitampura – was not a tough call for Dr Nidhi Bansal Gupta, consultant, Gynaecologist, Director at Nidhi Maternity and Gynae Clinic in Prashant Vihar and her husband Dr Ishan Gupta, consultant, Radiologist at Dr Lal Pathlabs in Tilak Nagar.

“When we were looking for a school for my younger daughter, Naira, we had only heard good things about Apeejay. It was natural that we fill out the admission form for this school. We were lucky that she got through,” Dr Gupta said.

Excerpts from an interview:

You recently changed your elder daughter, Neisha’s school mid-session. Why?

Once Naira got through to Apeejay School in Pitampura it only made sense that both of them studied in the same school. So we shifted Neisha’s school from Sachdeva Public School only a couple of months back. We saw how Naira was doing and were impressed with how the teachers interacted with her. We wanted the same for our elder daughter.

Has it been tough for Neisha to cope with her studies since you shifted her mid-session?

Not at all. The minute she joined the school, their Annual Appreciation Day was around the corner and she immediately enrolled for participation. That broke the ice with the other students and she quickly made friends. Academically also she is doing well since the pattern of teaching at Apeejay is good.

Was there a checklist when you were looking for a school for Naira?

We live in the Rohini area and were looking for a school that was not very far from home. Wanted that both girls have holistic development and Apeejay inculcates well-rounded personalities among its students. My husband and I had narrowed down the names of schools to five-six; Apeejay was one of them. When we got a call from the school that Naira had been selected we were happy.

Now that both my girls are studying here, I can vouch that the school has a strong academic record with equal emphasis on co-curricular activities. Even when it came to academics, I didn’t want a school that made students rote learn and loaded the kids with exams that they had to clear. I wanted my kids to have conceptual learning and this is what this school is delivering.

What was your reaction when you saw the school for the first time?

It was quite impressive. The building is good as are the grounds. It offers so many co-curricular activities and has an open-air theatre.

 What is the teaching methodology here?

This was the difference that I saw in my elder daughter who was studying at another school. At Apeejay, there is more conceptual learning. Teachers are not just making students cram up everything. The teachers use Jolly Phonics; it is a fun and child-centred approach to teaching literacy through synthetic phonics. The teacher does an action of a letter and Naira immediately recognises the same. She can now read three-letter words.

What are the changes that you have seen in Naira?

There are so many of them. She doesn’t take a shower because that means wasting water. She insists on taking a bath with a bucket of water. She won’t even let my elder one take a shower. She is also particular about not throwing litter anywhere on the road. If there is no dustbin, she will bring it home and throw it in the bin.

Have there been changes in Neisha?

She is a bit reserved. But it is too early to say anything since it has only been two months since she started at Apeejay.

Would you recommend Apeejay to other parents?

I would say that this school checks off a lot of things that parents look for when choosing the perfect school for their kids. Besides a strong academic record, parents want the holistic growth of their children that instills confidence and public speaking. There are several activities for nursery kids as well that they can participate in.