Situated in ECR, Primrose Schools is an institution that believes in holistic development of a child in a joyful manner. This, along with the happy faces of the students, is a testament to the brilliant work of the management and faculty to create a reliable brand, which was recognised when the school recently won Asia’s Education Award 2019 for the Best Co-ed ICSE School. Team Culturama visited the beautiful campus for a chat with its hands-on Director, Ms. Sindura Arvind
Let’s start with the prestigious award. What does being one of Asia’s trusted educational institutes mean to you?
We are incredibly elated with this honour. The award, which is internationally recognised, is based on feedback from our community of parents, teachers, students and alumni. Our team of faculty and our Principal, Mr. Ganesh Perumal, who are responsible for creating this trusted brand, are the driving force behind our school. It is extremely gratifying to see the validation of our long-term commitment to excellence.
Can you share a little about Primrose Schools’ vision?
We believe in the holistic development of the child. We follow the principles of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in our teachings:
• Physical education – A strong body is where a strong mind can reside: play, sports, balanced diet and preventive care.
• Vital education – Expression of the soul is the vital expression: music, art and craft, dance, karate, yoga, theatre, etc.
• Mental education – Ability to think, recognise, remember and recollect: math, language and pure science.
• Spiritual education – Practising good values are greater than a good education itself: love, faith and truth.
• International education – Creating a global workforce: respect and understanding of other cultures.
Our motto is experiencing the joy of learning through quality education and uniqueness in teaching, thus bringing out inherent talents and unfolding creative thinking.
In 2006, we had a small facility in Besant Nagar with just about 12 students. Since then our school has seen a steady organic growth at our campus in ECR, which has about 750+ students with facilities that match international standards.
Today, a child needs to think outside the box. How does your school support that?
Children are naturally creative and can think outside the box. If you observe a toddler, you will be able to identify this fact. Nurturing creativity is one of the visions of our school. To be creative, the child’s mind should be free from fear and punishment. They should have an environment where they are able to express themselves without any hesitation of making mistakes. Creativity blooms only in a joyful environment. We strive to create a conducive atmosphere for the kids where they are not subdued or threatened by the teachers or the environment around them. This is a tough job for the teachers, but we insist on that path which unfolds creativity, paving the way for the ideas to come out naturally.
Being busy with their lives, how invested are parents in their children’s needs today?
Parents today are more than ever invested in the needs of their children, with education being the most important. However busy they are, we at Primrose seek to involve the parents in myriad ways – some of the initiatives taken by us include open days for regular parent–teacher interactions, a Parent Relation Officer to address any issues of concern, yoga classes and sports events exclusively for parents as part of the Fit India Mission, parent orientation programmes, counselling and examination de-stress programmes and Grandparents’ Day. I think it is these proactive measures that have helped us foster a sense of community between parents, teachers and students, and keeps the parents engaged in the overall development of their children.
Can you share a little about the importance of the Mom & Me project that you have started in your school?
It is a pet project of mine, which focuses on children up to three years of age. Ninety percent of the development takes place in that phase, so the early years are extremely crucial. The ‘Mom & Me’ programme is for 10 to 18 months old age group and the Toddler programme is for 18 to 24 months. The main objective of this initiative is to help the parent and child spend quality time with each other in a joyful interactive environment. The mom and baby are free to explore a variety of books, toys, puzzles and other learning resources. We also follow the Glenn Doman method of teaching, which involves the use of flash cards to arouse the curiosity of learning in toddlers. It is important to create awareness among the parents to invest in their children in these crucial formative years.
What are the future plans of Primrose Schools?
Our future is dictated purely by our commitment to excellence. Primrose will grow organically without compromising on the quality of education at our current campus. However, we are exploring the possibility of opening another branch inside the city. The Primrose Educational Trust, led by its Founding Chairman Sri. M. Nandagopal, believes in giving back to society through education: to that end, we intend to start a school for underprivileged children as well in the near future.
To find out more about Primrose Schools, visit www.primroseschools.in or follow @PrimroseSchools.Chennai on Facebook.