‘My son’s vocabulary has improved; he also tries to speak in English now’

Be it college admission or nursery admissions, the rush to get your child into the best possible institute/school is a harrowing process. And it all begins with looking for the best possible school for your toddler. Most parents ask other parents; some ask family and friends. Yet others prefer to send their kid to a school where they or someone in the family has studied. Heena Parveen Alam is one such parent. She and her husband, Nasar Md Alam, chose the school for their son, Ashaz Md Nasar for admission into the nursery, where her uncle had studied – Apeejay.

“I was brought up by my uncle in Kolkata. He was from Apeejay and a successful Chartered Accountant. I saw the values that he exhibited. When I moved to Delhi and it came to the admission of Ashaz I was clear where he had to study. Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park was near our house and it clinched the deal for us,” Heena said. She is a teacher by profession but today she is a full-time homemaker and mother.

Excerpts from an interview.

Why did you choose Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park?

Besides my uncle who studied at Apeejay, I only heard good things about the school when I came to Delhi. I heard the teachers are good and their interaction with the students is on a one-on-one basis. I also heard that the school organises regular events that engage with the students. I wanted that for our son since he is our firstborn.

What are some of the changes that you have seen in your son?

Though he did attend preschool, it was online. So we were a bit anxious about how he would react to school. To begin with, he was unwilling to stay in the school for even five minutes. I was scared of how I would manage him. But cut to eight months later and he loves going to school so much that even on holidays like Saturday and Sunday he wants to know why he is at home. This is all thanks to God’s grace and the hard work of the teachers at Apeejay.

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The teaching is very good. There is no pressure on Ashaz. His class teacher Mini Khurrana ma’am is very good as well. She knows each student’s strengths and weaknesses and pays equal attention to all the students

–Heena Parveen Alam, Home-maker

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How was the admission process?

It was pretty easy. We had all the paperwork organised. This made it easy for us to upload the documents that were needed. When I visited the school, I was pretty impressed. I loved how clean it was despite the lockdown due to COVID-19. The grounds were well-maintained. Since then I have been a regular visitor to the school. Recently, the school held its carnival. It was so brilliantly organised. I have seen many carnivals in other schools, Apeejay did it wonderfully – it was so child-friendly.

What is the teaching methodology?

It is quite good. There is no pressure on Ashaz as far as studies are concerned. His class teacher Mini Khurrana ma’am is very good as well. She knows each student’s strengths and weaknesses and pays equal attention to all the students.

What has Ashaz learnt till now?

He has learnt new words; his vocabulary has improved. He now tries to speak in English as well which was missing earlier. He participates in all the functions that the school holds. He recognises the alphabet and can read three-letter words as well. He has also become more social.

Should there be a difference between what a teacher teaches and what a parent does?

Teaching has to happen all the time. What is important is that it should be in sync with what a teacher and a parent are imparting. One should not give conflicting learning to a kid. Both need to know, understand and look for learning gaps in the child and fill them in a manner that is friendly so that he doesn’t run away from learning or hesitate to ask questions.