Latest Teacher Preparation Programme (TPP) cohort celebrates graduation ceremony at AKA Mombasa

The Aga Khan Academy Mombasa awarded the International Baccalaurate Educators Certificate (IBEC) in Teaching and Learning to a team of six passionate teachers on 7 June 2019. Two of the teachers specialised in the Primary Years Programme and four in the Middle Years Programme. All six teachers are now certified as trained International Baccalaurate (IB) teachers. 

The TPP graduates with their Coordinator, Tom Abuto, and the guest speaker, Dr Julius Jwan.This was an exciting journey for the participants. Each intern collaborated with a member of faculty of the University of British Columbia (UBC) as they worked through the IBEC requirements to develop a portfolio. They were also encouraged to use a problem-based learning approach in exploring the curriculum. This enabled them to experience the benefits of learner-centred inquiry as they developed their own learning targets. The interns had a chance to interview faculty, explore IB documents and dig deep into theoretical foundations that underpin the IB curriculum. The programme provided a careful balance between theory and practice through which the interns could gain a deep and personal understanding of the AKDN, the Academies and the customisation of the IB curriculum through the Aga Khan Strands. 

The TPP graduates presenting their portfolios to faculty members and guests before the ceremony.At the end of the course, each intern was given the opportunity to display their portfolio. This drew in a number of faculty members and guests who were astonished by the depth of inquiry and knowledge demonstrated by each of the interns. 

Dr Julis Jwan, the CEO of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), delivered an address at the awards ceremony in which he praised the collaboration between the Aga Khan Academy Mombassa and the KICD in developing a values-based education programme. He went on to talk about the support given by the Academy to teachers in public schools through various outreach programmes. The Teacher Preparation Programme (TPP) is one of the principal means by which the Academies identify talented local teachers and further develop them to be able to teach in an Academy. 

The TPP is a multi-phase programme designed by the Aga Khan Academies to train outstanding university graduates to teach one or more of the IB programmes at the Academies. It is the first, and so far the only, completely school-based and school-owned programme to be recognised for the IB Certificate in Teaching and Learning. There are over 40 university based IBEC Teaching and Learning programmes across the globe, however, this is the first and only one on the African continent. 

The TPP graduates presenting their portfolios to faculty members and guests before the ceremony.In May 2016, the Faculty of Education at UBC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Aga Khan Academies for collaboration on a number of activities. As part of these collaborations, UBC provides a quality assurance check on the programme and external assessment of the TPP Interns’ work. 

The TPP is a growing programme. So far, four cohorts have graduated from the Academy in Mombasa and one cohort from each academy in Hyderabad and Maputo. The TPP has now seen 36 graduate teachers successfully go through over the six years of its existence and most are working in the Academies or in Aga Khan Education Service’s schools. Jonathon Marsh, who has oversight of the TPP, enthuses that “talented students need talented teachers to help them fulfil their potential. The TPP is a powerful testimony to the benefit of developing and relying upon the gifts and enthusiasm of young local teachers to achieve that goal.“