AKA Dhaka PDC and government official visit KIX project schools

Throughout September, the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka’s Professional Development Centre (PDC) visited the 13 government primary schools it collaborates with to observe the activities of the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) project. These visits were accompanied by a group of government officials from the District Primary Education offices in Barishal, Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur and Mymensing.  

The visits were to understand how the KIX project is helping teachers in their professional development. The visitors were able to comprehend the early years' students' English literacy acquisition through the usage of technology, as well as have discussions with head teachers from the KIX-supported government schools. During the visit, officials emphasised the importance of using technology alongside textbooks to create meaningful connections with the national curriculum. 

The KIX project – an initiative by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance at Concordia University in partnership with the Aga Khan Academies, Wilfred Laurier University and World Vision Canada – aims to improve English literacy skills of students in their early years in Bangladesh, Rwanda and Kenya. As part of the initiative, the PDC and outreach department of the Academy in Dhaka is implementing the KIX project in 13 government primary schools across eight divisions in Bangladesh, consisting of 13 teachers and over 800 students. 

"We want every child to have access to technology so they can gradually gain confidence using it, enabling them to learn efficiently and inclusively participate in their communities," said former Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) Mr Akram Al-Hossain.  

The officials then debriefed their observations and recommendations while appreciating the KIX project’s efforts to provide technological solutions to improve the English literacy of young learners. As the project concludes soon, government officials said it was essential to consider how teachers could continue using the software and other tools from the project.