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INQ’RA AGA KHAN EDUCATION SERVICE, INDIA inq’ra: An AKESI Publication
Foreword
31st December 2021
Farhad Merchant, CEO, Aga Khan Education Service, India (AKESI) As we come to an end of 2021 and enter 2022, we have a lot to be grateful for. The year has brought with it many trials and tribulations, but it also gave us ample opportunities to learn and grow. Each day brought us closer as a family! Our vaccination drive resulted in 100% vaccination, for all our eligible staff, due to the enthusiasm with which all of us took it upon ourselves to make it happen. While COVID remained uppermost in our minds, and caused anxiety to everyone, we saw that the safety protocols and precautions that were put in place, helped keep the number of cases down to a minimum. This is certainly, something that each of us can be grateful for. However, there have been many others during this time that have succumbed to this virus and I pray for their souls to rest in eternal peace. This was a year of many firsts, and our motivated team, supported by the students and parents, came up with many innovative initiatives. We launched a blended learning e-School for Preschool programme, aimed at addressing the challenges of remote learning for our young learners, by bringing together online facilitation and a guided home programme, with a comprehensively designed learning resource pack. We also developed a bridge programme for our students, to address literacy gaps for students entering primary school. We released 250 audio books to help students of primary and secondary with language and pronunciations. These were made accessible on-demand for parents and teachers. We also curated and released content for all our schools, to ensure adherence to quality standards. We launched many national level competitions for our students, such as MathQuest, Monologues, and Story-telling. Our first ever Aga Khan Schools Model United Nations was an amazing experience for the students and staff of all our schools.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE AKS - Model United Nations………...………….2 When Grammar Came Out to Play!.....…..…..2 Storytelling & Monologue Competition..….…2 Academic Interventions ……………………….....2 Teacher Quotient Test for Math Teachers…..2 Storytelling and Science - What a concept!...3 AKHH impact on students lives…………...…3
In alignment with the new National Education Policy, we continued to develop a holistic curriculum that emphasizes upon conceptual understanding, is inter-disciplinary, integrates the fine arts and creates multiple opportunities for critical thinking and creativity.
Parent Orientation..……......…..………………….3
Health and wellbeing of our staff remained uppermost on our minds, and we conducted various initiatives to address these. Staff engagement levels remained high throughout the year, with each member in the team, stepping up to do all that was possible to ensure learning continuity for our students. The staff also had fun along the way, through a number of enjoyable and engaging professional development initiatives, such as Spell-bee, Book Circle, and Fun’n’learn sessions for teachers.
Mock Parliament……......…………...………..……3
Get Up, Get Fit, Get Moving………..……………3 Revolution through street plays……....……….3 WATCH WHAT YOU EAT!.………………………3 Child Safety Week…..………....……………………4 35 fabulous years at AKP…..………..……………4 National/ International Days……………………4
Awards and Accolades...………………..…………5
During the year, maintenance and upgrades were carried out at our facilities, while the physical schooling was on hold. As the schools started to reopen physically, safety protocols were implemented, to ensure distancing, sanitization and masking. We are indeed blessed that many stories of our work were covered by various newspapers, publications and TV channels, with a combined reach of more than 30 million people. We were in the spotlight for our exemplary ECCE practices; invited to share the work we do with our staff to encourage Creativity and Collaboration in Education; and also wrote and reviewed children storybooks that were published by the government for children accessing Anganwadis across Gujarat. To top it all, AKESI schools received a whopping 90 awards (41 national, 9 state, and 40 regional), and also featured among India’s 10 Most Respected Education Brands (National Rank #5). Indeed, we have a lot to be grateful for! On behalf of the entire AKESI family, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude for these blessings, and for the solidarity and support that each of you have extended to us.
“The right to hope is the most powerful human motivation I know.”
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His Highness the Aga Khan
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.
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AKS - MODEL UNITED NATIONS The first, Aga Khan Schools Model United Nations (AKSMUN), was hosted by the Diamond Jubilee High School, Mumbai, on the 22nd and 23rd of October, 2021. The AKSMUN saw 74 delegates research and write Position Papers. Then, they - discussed, debated, lobbied, and passed resolutions on important international issues in the AKSMUN’s UNSC, WHO, UNESCO and UNEP. Themes like, the Afghan Crisis (the status and freedom of women in Afghanistan); Vaccine availability in the context of IPR; Bridging the education gap during the pandemic; and combating Climate Change with a focus on Global warming, kept delegates engaged for two days. Mr. Julian Drinkall, (General Manager – Aga Khan Schools) was the Guest of Honour at the Inauguration. Stressing the importance of the event, he said, “I am so proud that this will be Aga Khan Schools’ first MUN. Not only does it introduce our students to the world of diplomacy, international relations, the UN, and discussions around current, relevant topics, but it also expands on the curriculum and provides students with the opportunity to develop the skills of research, critical thinking, writing, debate and dialogue, and above all, leadership.” At the Closing Ceremony, the Guest of Honour, Ms Kanta Singh, who spent 9 years in the UNDP and has over 25 years of experience in the management of pro-women development programmes said “The AKS Model United Nations (AKSMUN), is a great platform for students to understand and take up issues of concern right from a young age. This is an important experience for the students, since during the MUN students will learn leadership skills, which, as future leaders at the UN, will be invaluable to not just them, but to the world at large.” To read more, click here.
CHARACTERS! PLOT! ACTION! - WHEN GRAMMAR CAME OUT TO PLAY! With characters like - common folk loving ‘Inspector A’, ‘Irksome Inspector An’ who disliked consonants, ‘Definitive The’, to introduce articles, sisters - Dependent, Independent, and the sibling in between - ‘Super Connector’ to introduce coordinating conjunctions; uncles and aunts named ‘Mr. Indigenous Idiom’ and ‘Ms. Prudent Proverb’, to explain the difference and application of idioms and proverbs . . . the ‘Grammarverse’ was in full bloom. Participants engaged with ‘stories as anchors’ to deep dive into the mechanics of the English Language, during the professional development session. In their creative pursuits, they came a step closer to understanding the nuances of - different concepts, immersive storytelling through applications like ThingLink and applying the oft-repeated story structure to create interesting grammar tales. All this to help students learn and retain their learning in a joyful manner.
MAKING MAGIC: WHEN VOICES BREATHED LIFE INTO FOLKLORE AND THE INANIMATE . . . The second edition of the Storytelling & Monologue Competition was held across the AKESI network schools in October 2021. The students of Grade 2 and 3, echoed the voices of seminal characters from Indian folklore and fairy tales like - the wise tortoise, the hardworking donkey, Vikram & Betal, to name a few, for the storytelling competition. The Grade 4 and 5 students prepared monologues in the voice of a problem, solution, chocolate, and even their favourite cartoon character. These memorable performances were not just restricted to the students, even teachers got an opportunity to showcase their multifaceted avatars during the culminating event of this competition. To know more, click here.
OUTREACH: ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONS The Academic Team has been closely working with the teachers of outreach partner schools, in English, Math and Science, to further improve the quality of student learning outcomes across Grades 1 to 8. The academic interventions have continued with teacher orientations to the Common Lesson Plans, jointly created by the AKESI teachers & subject-matter experts and continuous trainings have been done in the areas of pedagogy and use of technology for teaching.
TEACHER QUOTIENT TEST FOR MATH TEACHERS BY CENTA “All students are empowered to achieve a high-level mastery of Mathematics, that will equip them with the necessary numerical knowledge, skills, and dispositions for lifelong learning.” To achieve this vision, teacher competency needs to be on par with global standards. So, the Head Office along with the India team are pioneering this effort across the Aga Khan Schools (AKS) worldwide, to improve student mastery through enhancing teacher competencies. As a first step, all the mathematics teachers at AKESI underwent a Teacher Quotient Test, conducted by Centre for Teachers’ Accreditation (CENTA) to identify their strengths, and help them develop a deeper understanding about their competencies.
STORYTELLING AND SCIENCE - WHAT A CONCEPT!
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Stories engage students and lead to better understanding and retention. More importantly it ensures purposeful learning. During the staff professional session, the Science teachers were taken through a plethora of stories, to help develop a student’s core scientific skills. Skill such as observation, prediction, compare-contrast, justification, investigation, making an inference, and drawing a conclusion. Teachers were given exposure to a variety of narrations through case studies, articles, storybooks, and self-made illustrations.
AGA KHAN HOSTEL, HYDERABAD, REFLECTS ON ITS IMPACT ON ITS STUDENTS LIVES The Aga Khan Hostel, Hyderabad (AKHH) strives to provide students coming from the underserved regions of India with a safe residential environment, academic, co-curricular and socioemotional support, and appropriate guidance in various aspects of life. Since its establishment in 1955, the hostel’s extensive reach, progressive programmes and emphasis on inclusivity have created a lasting impact on its students and the communities it serves. The hostel’s dorm parents - teachers trained in critical areas, including community life, interpersonal skills, health, and safety - have demonstrated commendable work in the holistic development of thousands of students through pastoral care, quality educational support and exciting recreational activities. Today, 130 AKHH students are supported by nine dorm parents, an Academic Coordinator and the Head of Hostel to develop the knowledge, skills and values needed to become contributing members of a pluralistic society. To know more about the impact and experiences of its students, click here
ORIENTATION SESSION FOR PARENTS Platinum Jubilee High School, Warangal (PJHSW), conducted a virtual orientation programme for the parents of the Pre-Primary section, about the curriculum followed in the school. In his welcome address, Jagdish Peche (Principal) said, “A strong partnership between the school and its parents will make a significant difference to a child’s overall development. To ensure a student’s holistic development in the early years, the school supplements the ECCE academic curriculum with the ‘e-School for preschool’ resource kit.” To know more, click here.
GET UP, GET FIT, GET MOVING The consequences of COVID-19 on sport and active living have been disastrous. Considering this, the Diamond Jubilee High School for Girls, Mumbai (DJG) held a weeklong celebration to encourage its students to be fit and healthy. Here, it focused on helping the students demonstrate their prowess in sports. The Virtual Sports Meet had realistic games to engage students. Each class was assigned fun, ageappropriate games that could be played over a suitable online platform. Students were provided with informative videos for each event. Then, the students chose their events and virtually registered themselves. Next, the teachers scheduled and facilitated online sessions for classes 1 to 10 during the Sports Meet. To know more about this initiative, click here.
REVOLUTION THROUGH STREET PLAYS At the Diamond Jubilee High School, Mumbai (DJHSM), the Gandhian philosophy of standing for the truth is not only recognized, but is also a way of life. DJHSM took part in a National Skit Competition - Nukkad Natak, hosted by Desh Apnayen - a national organization that focuses on spreading the Gandhian philosophy and creating ACTIZENs (alert, active, informed citizens). To know more about this initiative, click here.
MOCK PARLIAMENT Today's children are tomorrow's citizens, tomorrow's citizens become future leaders. With this belief, the Little Star High School, Adilabad conducted a Mock Parliament for its students. Students of grades 9 and 10 stepped into the shoes of the country’s lawmakers and conducted Mock Parliament sessions. They introduced bills, discussed its pros and cons, all the while accepting, rejecting, and amending them. To know more, click here.
WATCH WHAT YOU EAT! During the pandemic, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy food choices and inadequate nutrition have taken a toll on people’s health and fitness. Children have become reluctant to follow traditional nutritious diets, while the parents are keen on balanced diets for their young ones. But the question is, are they practicing what they preach? Today, when pizza and pasta are so popular, even in rural areas, nutritious diets are losing ground. To remind its stakeholders of the importance of a healthy diet, the Aga Khan School, Chitravad (AKSC) organized Nutrition Week for its preschoolers and their parents, emphasizing the importance of healthy and adequate nutrition from early childhood. To know more about Nutrition Week at AKSC, read here.
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CHILD SAFETY WEEK IN ASSOCIATION WITH ARPAN AKESI observed ‘Child Safety Week’ in November, in collaboration with ARPAN. The objective of the Child Safety Week was to break the taboo around Child Sexual Abuse. It aimed to empower its stakeholders with the tools required to be vigilant and advocate for a safe environment through conversations on social media, webinars, and various other activities. To create awareness during the Child Safety Week, AKESI social media handles shared Information about Child Sexual Abuse created by ARPAN, thus maximizing its reach and creating awareness. To sensitize staff members about the Importance of Child Safety and Protection, informative mailers were shared all week, in addition to staff attending a mandatory workshop facilitated by ARPAN.
35 GLORIOUS YEARS AT AKP, BOTAD The Aga Khan Preschool, Botad bid a memorable farewell to Ms Amita Mithani as she retired after 35 years of service. The farewell ceremony was attended by members of the local community, exChairman of the Local Management Committee and the Regional Head of Gujarat. The event covered by the local media saw Ms Amita, share her experience about working as a teacher and how she has contributed towards enriching the lives of students from two generations. She joined the Aga Khan Preschool as an Assistant teacher in 1986 and was soon promoted to Head Teacher. Today she is a master trainer for Shishu Pahel Paddhati ® and has contributed a number of projects like Read for Children (RfC) in Bihar and the Anganwadi Quality Improvement Project at Dwarka. To know more, click here.
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” -
Benjamin Franklin
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS Global Cyber Day 2021: We are all but 1's and 0's. The world has seen an enormous digital revolution, especially in the last couple of decades. Almost all of us have a digital footprint. As more people join the digital revolution, the number of individuals falling prey to cyber frauds has also increased. To protect its students from falling prey to such frauds and keeping them alert, AKESI schools conducted Cyber Awareness Workshops for its students on Global Cyber Day. The workshop covered topics like – how to set a strong password, precautions to be taken while chatting online, protocol to share photographs, checking unidentified e-mails and awareness about fake news.
National Mathematics Day: The students of Diamond Jubilee High School for Girls, Mumbai, (DJG), celebrated National Mathematics Day (22nd December) to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Indian mathematical genius, Srinivasa Ramanujan. The school planned activities to improve interest of students in mathematics and create awareness about its importance in daily life.
World Food Day: The Aga Khan School, Mundra (AKSM) observed World Food Day to
promote the message - food is a fundamental and basic human right. The theme for World Food Day 2021 was “Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow”. The special day also recognized ‘food warriors’ - those that strived to create an environment, in which no one is hungry. To know more, click here.
Bathukamma Celebrations: To promote cultural pluralism, Little Star High School, Adilabad celebrated the festival of Bathukamma with much fanfare. Students created and displayed beautifully decorated Bathukammas, prepared using a variety of flowers. To know more about the celebrations and see pictures, click here.
Gandhi Jayanthi: Students from the AKESI network schools celebrated Gandhi Jayanthi
virtually to commemorate the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. Pre-Primary students dressed up like Mahatma Gandhi and spoke about his values of truth and non-violence.
World Animal Day Celebrations: To inculcate kindness and empathy among the toddlers, the Aga Khan School, Mundra organized a virtual fancy dress, where students dressed up as their favorite animal and shared their views about it. After this, teachers helped students understand the importance of demonstrating compassion towards all living beings, as a first step towards making the world a better place.
Constitution Day: The students at the Little Star High School, Adilabad, celebrated
Constitution Day (also known as National Law Day). On this day, students participated in a Legal Awareness Program conducted by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA). The program was attended by Mrs. Kshama Deshpande (Secretary, DLSA), Mr. Ramana Reddy (Senior Civil Judge & President - Bar Association, Adilabad) and Mr. Uday Bhaskar (Senior Civil Judge, Adilabad). Students actively participated and asked interesting questions to the panel of esteemed guests during the Q&A session. To know more, click here.
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AWARDS While AKESI has won 90 awards during the year, a few of the School/Preschool awards are shown below.