“I am sure that all of you here today will agree that we live in a time of rapid change – change that is often not predictable, and not always positive. The best way to manage change, whether positive or negative, is to anticipate it and prepare for it. On the basis of my experience with development as an observer and a practitioner – that now spans more than forty years – I have come to the conclusion that there is no greater form of preparation for change than education. I also think that there is no better investment that the individual, parents, and the nation can make than an investment in education of the highest possible quality.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Opening of the Aga Khan School, Osh, Kyrgyz Republic, October 30, 2002
The previous article examined the lifework of Mawlana Hazar Imam and the institutions responsible for the Jamat’s religious formation. This article explores the role of dini education in early childhood.
What was Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah’s legacy in education?
During the Golden Jubilee of Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, he mobilised the Nazrana to improve the quality of childhood development and education. The Nazrana established financial scholarships along with the development of primary and secondary schools, and higher overseas education. This was followed by more than two hundred Diamond Jubilee schools and Aga Khan Schools, ultimately changing the destiny of those Jamats who did not have access to formal education. Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah believed that education and childcare begin from the time of conception and continued until maturity.
How has Mawlana Hazar Imam continued this legacy and investment in education?
This focus on education continued during the Imamat of Mawlana Hazar Imam, with the development of educational institutions such as Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Boards (ITREBs), the Institute of Ismaili Studies, the Aga Khan University, the University of Central Asia and the Aga Khan Academies. For Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee, he has identified a goal of 100% access to Early Childhood Education for the global Jamat, with the aim that every Ismaili child born meets key developmental milestones in the critical stage of childhood.
What role do parents and caregivers play in early childhood development and dini education?
Parents and other caregivers, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and community, play a major role in the early development of children. They are the primary source of religious and social nurturing for children at home, and as participants and volunteers in community organized programs. Our children start learning about their faith, prayers and hopes, happiness and contentment, literature and poetry when expecting mothers recite Ginans and Qasidas, say prayers, engage in tasbih, sing songs, dance and meditate.
As children grow, it is important to bring them to Jamatkhana and socialize them to community life through volunteering, learning rituals, reciting prayers, and meeting Mukhi Kamadias, volunteers, and other members of the Jamat. This goes a long way in the development of the brain, which is most flexible in early life.
When not in Jamatkhana, reinforcing aspects of faith through small gestures help create social and mental pathways for children, which will be valuable in their lives. These may include keeping regular prayers, teaching children how to pray and hold a tasbih, reciting Ginans and Qasidas, listening to devotional songs, telling them stories from our history, and talking about our beliefs and our ethics of generosity, honesty, and caring for others.
Why is dini education important in early childhood development?
Religious and emotional well-being and social competence provide a strong foundation for emerging cognitive abilities. They are the bricks and mortar that make up the foundation of comprehensive human development. The religious, emotional and physical health, and social skills that emerge in the early years are all important prerequisites for success in school and later in the workplace and community.
Learn more:
- Website: Early Childhood Development, Ismaili Institutions of Canada
- Website: IIS Pre-School Curriculum, Institute of Ismaili Studies
- Website: AKDN Early Childhood Development
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