INQ’RA inq’ra: An AKESI Publication
Foreword
31 December 2020
Farhad Merchant, CEO, Aga Khan Education Service, India (AKESI) “In a fast-paced and rapidly-changing world, the ability to adapt and continue learning is an essential skill to develop in order to take advantage of emerging opportunities.” - His Highness the Aga Khan This quote from His Highness is an apt reminder to each of us, especially at the current time. The world has certainly changed very quickly in the last few months. We have also adapted to this change in our own way, learning new ways of doing things, of balancing our personal lives, engaging with others around us, and supporting each other, while seeking out the opportunities in these situations. In some ways, we are “learning to learn”! This is a defining moment in time for many of us – it is an incredible opportunity to learn about ourselves and tap into our innate skills. We are getting reconnected with our families and supporting each other more. We are in this together, regardless of race, religion, language or gender!
In this fast-changing world, it is time for us to introspect what is important to us. Time must be used wisely! One of the easiest ways for us to squander this valuable resource, is our lack of control, especially when it comes to the digital world that we are in today. We must learn to balance this, to be in control – sometimes, if we are not careful, the very devices that are a helpful tool for learning, can take over control of our lives. Let’s use this time to reflect and to work on being better versions of ourselves.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Learning During the Pandemic …………………… 2
Remote Learning Pedagogy ………………………... 2 Parent Engagement .............................…………. 3 Student Engagement ...........................…………. 3 Reaching out to the community .…….…............ 4 Professional Development ………...….……………. 4 Academic performance & results ..…..…………… 4
We must hold on to our ethics and values of honesty and integrity, respect for others and helping others! We have found that education, among other things, has found new meaning and a fresh perspective.
Online Trainings ……..………………….……………..4
Our unity during these times give us greater hope for our future!
Awards and accolades ……………..…………………. 7
Staff Engagement ……..…….………….….………….. 5 Social Initiatives ……………….…..………………...… 6
Dr. Natasha Mehta, Head of Academics, AKESI Dear children and parents, You have always been our biggest strength and inspiration to work hard & do our best to continue your journey of learning. The British naturalist, Charles Darwin suggested that when the environment changes, ‘organisms best adjusted to their environment are the most successful in surviving’. In a way, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, our environment changed. Homes became schools and offices. Schools became quarantine centres. From having the freedom to roam around, play and travel anywhere, we were now ensconced in our homes. In order for us to ‘survive’ we had to adapt to these changes. As your teachers burnt the mid-night oil to learn new ways of teaching driven by technology, I know that you all too strove hard to learn the new ways of learning. Parents have gone the extra mile to support ‘learning at home’. It has not been easy but all of us have done a commendable job of persevering and persisting in moving along the path to our goals. Be proud of yourself dear children, because you showed extraordinary resilience and strength. This beautifully put together magazine is evidence of the amazing achievements of the AKESI family over the last year. No storm lasts forever. These difficult days will soon be gone. We will soon be back in school again with you, to play together, laugh together, celebrate our successes and take on bigger challenges.
www.agakhanschools.org
INQ’RA: Keeping with the spirit of pluralism, the name inq’ra is a blend of the English word “ink” (used to write) and the Arabic word “iqra” (the akesi symbol, which means: to read). inq’ra is also inspired from the word “inquiry”. If you flip this over, you can see akesi, indicating that this is a reflection of our work.
