Lucknow’s legendary ‘Popli aunty’ passes away

A recipient of the HT Lifetime Achievement Award in April 2016, she believed that the onus is on parents to adjust with their children who are born in the era of mobile phones and modern gadgets

Educationist Kaushalya Popli, credited for revolutionising the preprimary and nursery schooling system in Lucknow, passed away after a brief illness at a Delhi hospital on Friday morning.

Lucknow’s legendary ‘Popli aunty’ passes away (file)

She was 94.

The legendary children’s teacher, who was popularly known as ‘Popli aunty’ in Lucknow, was staying with her son Dr Sanjeev Popli, in Delhi for the past five years.

After retirement, my mother started Athena nursery school at her home in Nirala Nagar. The establishment nurtured pre-school kids for over 34 years before closing down during the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020,” said Dr Sanjeev.

Born on January 18, 1929, she came from Rangoon via Kolkata (then Calcutta) and from where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation before settling down in Lucknow in 1954. Soon after, she joined the Municipal Nursery School and remained its principal for 25 years. During this period, she made this government school the most sought-after nursery school in Lucknow.

A recipient of the HT Lifetime Achievement Award in April 2016, she had during the glittering award event, walked up to the stage with poise to not only receive the trophy but also share parenting tips with the august audience that was present on the occasion. “Parents should understand their children and listen to them. Give them time and don’t try to enforce those things that you did when you were young. Our children are born in a different era. They are very bright and we must try to adjust ourselves to them,” she had said to applause.

“The onus is on parents to adjust themselves with their children for they were born in the era of mobile phones and modern gadgets which were not there in our times,” she had said.

Career counsellor Amrita Dass said, “Kaushalya Popli was a visionary educationist and inspiring role model. Her student centric approach to education leveraged their inherent potential from the preprimary stage and provided them with an invaluable launchpad in life. She has left an indelible legacy of excellence in education encompassing the all-round development of each student.”