Ambassador of Japan visits the Aga Khan Academy Maputo

The Aga Khan Academy Maputo hosted the first-ever iPad Education Summit in Mozambique from 27-28 August 2024 for 90 educators.   The two-day summit was organised by the Academy and Core Group – a company that works as a distributor of electronics brands in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Apple. It aimed to train teachers from the Academy, private schools and other educational institutions in Maputo and Matola on how to use and integrate technology in education.    “This summit represents an important step for education in Mozambique as we begin to imagine new possibilities and equip children and teachers with skills for future success,” said Junior School Principal Emma Wheatley. “It is a wonderful training which will benefit our students.”    During the summit, the participants attended the sessions to learn more about Apple applications, online safety and parental controls, screen time settings, and cyberbullying awareness, among other topics.    “Through this summit, I have realised that iPads provide access to a range of educational applications and resources that can make learning more interactive and engaging for our students,” said Grade 4 Teacher Pinto Belo.

Every Wednesday morning, Middle Years Programme (MYP) students at the Aga Khan Academy Maputo gather for a session of engaging, interactive and self-paced English language lessons called “Quill".  The sessions are part of “Quill – Language Power-up", which is an innovative language programme aimed at empowering students to excel academically and thrive in an increasingly competitive global landscape. It is designed to elevate students’ reading, writing and speaking abilities in both English and a second language by focusing on grammar and vocabulary.  Through a structured curriculum encompassing three core components – identifying learning gaps, teacher-led sessions and interactive activities – the Academy strives for the programme to foster comprehensive language proficiency among Senior School students and boost their confidence in all types of communication.  The sessions started in April 2024 and are led by the Academy’s Country Coordinator for International Talent Identification Abouzar Bassiri Zadeh and MYP Coordinator Esther Nondi.  "Quill offers around 800 activities and assessments to aid students in developing their reading comprehension and grammar in English," Ms Esther said. "The other components focus on preparing students for writing essays and delivering oral presentations in two languages.”   The programme has been useful for students to understand the writing mechanics behind the English language as they can adapt what they learn to other lessons.  "English is not my native language, and I can tell the difference in how I speak from before we started with this programme to now," said Sayna Majidi, a Grade 8 student who is originally from Iran.  Reem Saad, another Grade 8 student who is from Syria, also highlights the impact the programme has had on her.  "I am now able to work on my grammar and overcome my shyness with this programme while also learning to speak English properly," she said.  The Aga Khan Academy Maputo is working on the full implementation of Quill along with the other components of the programme, such as the “Longman Academic Series” and the "Public Speaking Merit Awards" to continue supporting Senior School students and their learning. 

The Aga Khan Academy Maputo’s Professional Development Centre (PDC) hosted a closing ceremony for its educational management and leadership course on 19 July 2024. The course, in its fifth year of running, is offered to public school managers from the Matola District Service for Education, Youth and Technology.  
The 10-day course, which had a total of 40 participants,aimed to encourage public school managers to reflect and develop collaborative practices at school that foster the formation of well-informed citizens.   “One of the Academy's distinctive features is the provision of continuous professional development programmes for educators,” said PDC Coordinator Mr Aleixo José. “There is an urgent need to implement changes in the conception and management [of schools], and this course serves as a call to reflect on the fundamental concepts and practices of democratic management.”   During the sessions, the attendees participated in discussions where they examined the current state of management and leadership practices in their schools.   “This course made me reflect on what it means to be a school manager, and to learn more about participative management,” said Ms Berta Olumene, a school manager from the MachavaSede Primary School. “The course will have a long-lasting and positive impact because it has provided me with the tools to mobilise the school council to focus on the development of the school and improve the quality of education for our students.”   One of the highlights of the course was the visible change in the attendees' mindsets regarding their methods and how they can implement and share best practices.  “I always blamed others for the failures in the school’s management process,” said Mr Eugénio Gingador, a school manager from the Complete Primary School of Matola J. “I am thankful for the Aga Khan Academy Maputo’s initiative to provide this training. It has certainly helped me change the way I perceive my role as a school manager.”  

As part of his state visit to Mozambique, His Excellency (H.E.) José Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of East Timor visited the Aga Khan Academy Maputo on Saturday, 7 July. The visit was also attended by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Carlos Joaquim Zacarias and his delegations from the two countries. The delegation of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Mozambique, composed of Rui Carimo, AKDN Representative Office, and Sónia Neto, Advisor for Diplomatic Relations, Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, along with Head of Academy Roy White, welcomed H.E. President Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, to the campus. During the visit, a presentation on AKDN’s operations in Mozambique and around the world was shared, followed by a tour of the campus. The esteemed guests also received an opportunity to interact with some students.  At the end of his visit, H.E. President Ramos-Horta said that "... for the first time I have contact with this Academy; an exceptional work in its pedagogical design, in the offer of infrastructure and conditions for children. It is a model that would be ideal for many countries ... although, of course, not everyone has this possibility to do it with such quality, both in physical infrastructure, but also in equipment so that students can benefit from the infrastructure and the quality of teachers. This project is a model of inspiration around the world for countries, governments, foundations and the United Nations system." Before departing, H.E. President Ramos-Horta wrote in the Academy’s guestbook, commending the Academy and AKDN: "I salute the mandate of His Highness the Aga Khan and the meritorious work of the AKDN in Mozambique, East Timor’s sister country, and in the world. I praise the vision and values of the Aga Khan Academy in training future women and men who can contribute to a more just and prosperous society."

On Saturday, 18 May, the Aga Khan Academy Maputo celebrated its graduating class of 18 exceptional students from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP).  The graduates, who hail from Mozambique, Portugal, India, France and Pakistan, were joined by their parents, extended family members, students, staff and other invited guests for their special day. The ceremony was also live streamed to additional family members, alumni, the Aga Khan Academies network and the wider community, reaching over 850 people from Mozambique, Angola, Syria, Pakistan, Tanzania and many more countries. 
Before the main ceremony, a special pinning ceremony was conducted for the graduating class. This tradition across the Academies marks the completion of the students’ time at the Academy as they join a growing legacy of over 1,700 alumni across the network.  The graduates then convened in the Academy’s Commons for the official graduation ceremony, which began with opening remarks from Head of Academy Mr Roy White.  “I only need to look around and can see several young people who I know have shown such bravery,” Mr Roy said. “These young people have demonstrated courage in their writing and art. They have shown bravery in their extended essays, oral exams and even on the sports field. Let us not forget their resilience in tackling those maths IA drafts, whether it was the fifth, sixth or perhaps even the eighth iteration!” 

In April, the Aga Khan Academy Maputo hosted its first-ever Model United Nations (MUN) conference with approximately 80 students from the Academy and around Maputo.   Students from the American International School of Mozambique, Maputo International School and Maputo International College participated in the event alongside students from the Academy. The conference took place over three days, where students had the opportunity to engage in lively debates, explore global issues and enhance their diplomacy skills.   
“MUN relates with the Aga Khan Curricular Strands and allows students to display a range of skills such as compromise, public speaking, teamwork and building knowledge of international issues and solutions,” said Humanities Teacher Mr Mark Wheatley. “Through this, we hope to develop the students’ skills for them to become future leaders.”   Ten students and two teachers, alongside the facilities team at the Academy, started preparing for the conference over six months ago.  “We carried out various tasks, such as deciding on the topics for different committees, producing delegate guides for participants, electing different teams and working on the logistics of the event,” said Grade 12 student Alnoor Budhwani, who was also the secretary general of the conference.