‘This school is helping my daughter to grow inside and outside classroom’

One of the things this parent values most about Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park is how seamlessly it blends academics with co-curricular exposure. “This ensures children grow both inside and outside the classroom,” says Madhura Thakore, mother of Priyangi Merh, a Class 5B student at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park.

In a candid interview, Madhura Thakore shares her thoughts on the school’s teaching methods, extracurricular activities, and overall infrastructure.

Please tell me how you like this school overall.

Overall, I like it, because there are many activities and significant exposure given to the children. Nowadays, co-curricular activities alongside academics are very important, and I see the school proactively fostering this. So this is a major reason I like the school — how it takes both academics and activities hand in hand.

When it comes to teaching, do you think there is an in-depth explanation from the teachers’ side, rather than just making students cram their answers?

My daughter is in Class 5, and I have got very good teachers, including in Class 4. In a few subjects, even if I had explained a concept to her at home, she would come back and say, “Mamma, this is how they taught us in school,” and she grasped it very nicely. Some teachers are doing fantastically, and the children are grasping concepts very well.

There are sports, extracurricular activities, poster-making, and theme-based assemblies at the school. Some parents feel this takes away from academic focus. How do you feel about this, and how has your child’s performance been?

My daughter participates in almost all of these activities. Even when I’m unable to attend her functions myself, since I also work at a school, her grandmother and father attend and always return with very positive feedback that everything is conducted properly. What I particularly love is the school assemblies — my daughter often comes home and tells me, “Mamma, we learnt this in the assembly.” If I sit down to teach her a concept that was covered in an assembly back in Class 3, or 4, she remembers it and relates it, saying, “I know where this came from, I learnt it there.” So in that way, it’s very nice, and I think the school should continue with this approach.

Along with that, how do you find the safety and accessibility at the school?

I don’t have any complaints about the teachers at all — neither the male staff nor the female staff. I’ve never had any issue on that front.

What about the infrastructure?

They are very good. I don’t have any problem regarding that. It’s going very well. They have proper computer labs, libraries, and a proper place for the pool, alongside teacher surveillance.