‘The teachers of this school are very student-focused’

It is not very often that parents will not make a list of all the top schools and compare it against the checklist that they have made. But for Pooja and her husband, Abhishek Umakant Pandey, there was never a dilemma about where to send their elder daughter Anjika – it had to be Apeejay School, Nerul. The reason was simple – Abhishek is an alumnus of this school.

“While we did make a list of the schools, we were very clear that we would only refer to it if Anjika didn’t get admission at Apeejay. Since my husband and everyone in his family have studied at this school, we were well aware of the great teachers the school has, the infrastructure, and the teaching methodology,” Pooja Pandey said.

In a candid interview, the mother of two talks about how her daughters love to draw, dance and read thanks to the hard work of the teachers.

Did you have a checklist while choosing a school for Anjika?

I did make a list of things that I wanted from a school even though my husband is an alumnus. While it is important that the school has good teachers and focus on the students, for me what was even more necessary was for the school to be near our home. Thankfully, Apeejay fit all my requirements.

So when it came to the admission of my younger one – Aarvi who is in junior KG – it was a foregone conclusion that she too would study at Apeejay.

Why is it important for the school to be near?

Gone are the days when the city was safe. Things have changed so much. With the way things are today, it was important for me that the school be within walking distance; our home is 100 metres away. This gives me peace of mind that if I am needed at the school for whatever reason, I can be there within a minute or two. My daughters come first for me.

“It was important for me that the school be within walking distance; our home is 100 metres away. This gives me peace of mind that if I am needed at the school for whatever reason, I can be there within a minute or two”

–Pooja Pandey, Mother of two students who study at Apeejay School, Nerul

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What are some of the changes seen in your daughters since the school went offline?

First, both of them love going to school. Even though Aarvi never went to one, she is enjoying each day. She has picked up so many things because of Anjika. Just as Anjika loves to draw, colour, and read, so does my younger one; Aarvi wants to do everything that her sister does.

Do you get regular feedback from the teachers?

Yes, I do get feedback from the class teachers – Simmi ma’am for Aarvi and Chitra for Anjika. And it is quite detailed feedback. Even at parent-teacher meetings, the teachers tell me how the girls have improved or areas that need improvement. For example, Anjika is not used to writing since during the lockdown they didn’t have any homework. So now, Anjika has to write one page daily.

What was the teaching methodology for online classes?

It was good. At that time Aarvi was very young but she insisted that she sit in the class with her sister. The teacher was extremely accommodating. Many times, she would ask Aarvi questions which she answered correctly. I also saw the patience with which the teacher taught using phonetics etc.

Should parents don the hat of a friend?

I don’t subscribe to this thought. Parents must remain parents and the children must understand that there is a line that can’t be crossed. I need them to respect me. While I have no problem with their friendly greeting and the kind of conversations we have, they must keep that distance and give due regard where needed.

How do you teach a child to share?

We live in a joint family. So sharing comes naturally. But there are times when they don’t want to. Take an example. Recently, Aarvi wanted to take chocolate to school but she said she didn’t want to share the same. I told her she can share a part of the chocolate since it will make her friend happy and if the friend is happy, she too will feel good. And that is exactly what happened. My daughter came back excited and happy.

Do you recommend Apeejay to other parents?

All the time. So many parents were looking for a school for their children last year for the 2023-24 academic year. I told them that there is no school better than Apeejay.