PYP exhibitions unlock door to new development

GRADE six pupils from Aga Khan Nursery and Primary School in Dar es Salaam have come up with solutions to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thanks to Primary Years Programme (PYP).
Through exhibitions held at the school’s premises, students showcased findings of various topics they had researched.

The Aga Khan Education Service Tanzania Chief Executive Officer, Dr Shelina Walli said the exhibitions had offered students a forum to exhibit the development of the IB learner profile, skills and conceptual understandings.

“I have learnt something new here… community fears non-communicable dis eases like high blood pressure and diabetes, but ignore communicable diseases which are being spread by viruses which live within our surroundings.There’s simple machine which we can use to detect them,” said the CEO after visiting the students’ pavilions.

Dr Walli noted that the exhibitions gave a wonderful opportunity for students to show their learning skills and exhibit knowledge, concepts, and skills developed throughout their journey in primary years’ education by exploring global challenges picked from the 17 SDGs.

“In their final year of the PYP, all Grade 6 pupils take part in an exhibition that combines all of the skills, strengths and techniques that they’ve developed and learned during their primary years’ education,” she noted.
At the event attended by the Dar Salaam City Council mayor, Mr Omary Kumbilamoto, some parents admitted that pupils had managed well to connect the classroom learning to life realities.

“PYP Exhibitions are the best way to measure students’ holistic development because they have enabled the pupils to be in the position to connect the classroom learning to life realities,” said Bhavini Sheth, a parent.

Ziyan Hamir Charania, a Grade Six pupil at the school, said he had learned essential social and communication skills, including working collaboratively as a team, and the importance of understanding others’ perspectives.

“I am grateful to the teachers for pro viding this wonderful opportunity. I had fun while learning and sharing with my teammates.

During this journey of preparation for the exhibitions,” the pupil said. Before the exhibition journey began, the pupils engaged in a pre-assessment activity that enabled them to share their prior knowledge about the PYP exhibitions.

After that stage, pupils are exposed to the trans-disciplinary theme that has been identified for the exhibitions and they make a connection to the SDGs and choose their area of interest.
The process of researching the area commences thereafter.