‘This school is inculcating spiritual mindset in students’

Every parent has a checklist when they are looking for a school for their child. Admission to the nursery can be a daunting task when the checklist is long. The same was true for Anjali Pundir when she was looking for schools for her elder son’s admission.

“I had visited a lot of schools around the time of my elder son’s (Sattvik) admission. During my visits, Apeejay School, Faridabad in Sector 15 stood out for me. The school had a vibe that appealed to me, and the environment was very good – it was a perfect blend of modern and tradition. It may sound clichéd but this is what sold me to the idea of enrolling my son in this school. What I also liked was the school is not filled with children; the teacher-student ratio is good. When it came to the admission of Yashwardhan, I didn’t have to look far,” Anjali said.

Excerpts from an interview.

How are the boys doing now that they are going to school?

I also enjoyed the study time with my children even during COVID-19. I got to see firsthand the school environment that the teachers managed to create even for online classes; it was amazing. I got to see the teaching methodology and each child would sit giving full attention to what the teacher was saying and learning.

How is Yashwardhan doing with classroom learning?

I had a lot of apprehensions since he had not even gone to the playschool. I spoke with the school counselor back then and voiced my concern about how he would cope with the studies since he couldn’t even write the alphabet; I was concentrating on Satttvik. But the teacher reassured me that they understood these challenges. Nine months down the line, I can see an immense change in him. He has caught up with his peers. Each week there is an activity; this helps the students to gain confidence.

How does holistic development help a child?

I think that a child must have overall development rather than stick to academic knowledge alone. Recently, I was speaking with my elder son’s teacher and telling her how my mother-in-law is keen that her grandchildren develop a spiritual mindset and know their mythology and Epics. What I love about Apeejay is the importance that they give to our traditions and culture.

Children need to know the heroes, not the actors in moves but the heroes we read about in books and stories.

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I think that a child must have overall development rather than stick to academic knowledge alone. My mother-in-law is keen that her grandchildren develop a spiritual mindset and know their mythology and Epics. What I love about Apeejay is the importance that they give to our traditions and culture

–Anjali Pundir, Mother of students at Apeejay School, Faridabad

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How does this lead to moral values in a child?

Already my younger son is reciting dohas of Kabir and listening to Hanuman Chalisa. He also listens to the stories from The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. One day, Sattvik was telling how Ramji went into the forest just because his father asked him to do so. Now, when I ask him to do a chore he does it with no complaints – he said, if Ramji can go to the forest for 14 years, he can do this small task. The school too plays a role here.

How do you inculcate the habit of having an honest conversation with a child?

First, parents must understand that no two children are the same even if they live in the same house. Each child has his/her way to communicate. It is not necessary that if you have two children both will react in the same manner.

As the child grows up, the areas of interest come up; have a conversation with the child about those, and slowly the child will open up.

What are the moral values that you are giving to your sons?

I never tell them that they should grow up and earn pots of money. That they automatically will when they start their professional life. I will tell my children to become good human beings. Even when I bless them, I say the same thing – bring a change in another person’s life.

There is so much negativity around us today. People have become inhuman and intolerant of each other. We, as parents, must teach kids to be humanitarian in their approach.

Do you think that parents should don the hat of a friend?

Not at all. Parents must remain parents. It is important for children, once they grow up to look at their parents with respect and not as friends. But that doesn’t mean that you should be strict with the kids. Develop enough confidence in the child so that you are the first person he comes to and confides.