Celebrating Education Day 2025: Shaping Tanzania’s future with inclusive and quality education
On 24 January 2025, Tanzania joins the global community in marking International Day of Education, a day to recognise education’s power to transform lives. This year’s theme, “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation”, invites reflection on how technology and human skills can intersect to drive progress.
In Dar es Salaam, the Aga Khan Education Service (AKES), Tanzania leads the way in demonstrating how inclusive, high-quality education can shape resilient, innovative and ethical leaders prepared to face both local and global challenges.
Nurturing technological fluency with local impact
In alignment with the theme of this year’s International Day of Education, AKES, Tanzania emphasises the role of technology as a tool for transformation. Students engage with artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and coding, not as abstract concepts but as practical tools to address local challenges. For example, learners work on projects that explore solutions to urban waste management, using robotics kits and coding platforms to design innovations tailored to the realities of Dar es Salaam.
Both the Aga Khan Nursery and Primary School, Dar es Salaam and the Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, Dar es Salaam also integrate digital tools – Kahoot and Quizizz – to make learning interactive and accessible. Platforms such as PhET and Transum deepen students’ understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, while 3D printers enable them to create prototypes that could address city-specific needs, such as sustainable housing or water management solutions. In the national curriculum, students at the secondary school embrace coding through activities such as the Hour of Code, which is a ‘‘worldwide movement that aims to introduce millions of students to computer science through one-hour coding’’.
Education rooted in sustainability
Dar es Salaam and Tanzania’s rapid expansion places immense pressure on its environment, making sustainability a key priority for AKES, Tanzania. Through hands-on projects, for example, bio-composting and the on-campus
Shamba Darasa (classroom garden), students are taught how to minimise waste and use resources wisely.
Additionally, digital solutions, such as utilising Microsoft Teams, help to reduce paper use and lower the carbon footprint of daily school operations. Science classes also use advanced data collection tools to teach accuracy and environmental stewardship, ensuring students develop skills that are both practical and forward-thinking.
Building a better tomorrow
Central to the mission of AKES, Tanzania is the belief that education should benefit not just individuals but entire communities. As a non-profit organisation, the school offers scholarships to ensure that children from all backgrounds have access to quality education. By fostering an inclusive environment where every learner feels valued, AKES, Tanzania creates a microcosm of the equitable society it seeks to build.
Extracurricular activities such as the Digital Club and environmental initiatives also connect students to the wider community, encouraging them to apply their skills to projects that address local challenges. By combining these opportunities with a focus on ethical leadership, AKES, Tanzania ensures its graduates are not just academically excellent but socially conscious citizens.
Education as a driver of development
As part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), AKES, Tanzania aligns its work with the broader goals of improving quality of life and promoting sustainable development. In Dar es Salaam, this vision translates into nurturing young leaders who can contribute to society’s social and economic growth. By empowering learners with skills that balance technological expertise and human values, AKES, Tanzania is preparing them to lead Tanzania into a brighter future.
This International Day of Education, AKES, Tanzania celebrates the transformative power of learning and the critical role it plays in building a resilient, inclusive Dar es Salaam. It is vital to ensure that education remains the cornerstone of sustainable development and the key to unlocking human potential.
Photos (top to bottom):
- Students at the Aga Khan Nursery and Primary School, Dar es Salaam engaging in the Young Engineers Pan-African STEM competition.
- A NECTA teacher and student participating in an Hour of Code activity, in which students learnt how to code music using AI.
- Three students showcasing their invention at the ninth Tanzania Women Engineers Convention and Exhibition.
- Students using the computer laboratories at the Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, Dar es Salaam.
