The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Centre (AIMSSEC) is the vehicle for public engagement, schools’ enrichment and professional development of mathematics teachers.

AIMSSEC’s mission is to play a key role in the extension of educational opportunities for disadvantaged and rural communities in Africa by helping teachers to improve the quality of the teaching and learning of mathematics.

AIMSSEC’s goals are to:

• run professional development courses for under-qualified mathematics teachers from disadvantaged communities
• introduce new teaching methods
• produce resources.

The intended outcomes are to empower teachers:

• to raise education standards
• to train other teachers, and
• to give children better life chances.

AIMS South Africa was the founding centre of a network of five Pan African Centres of Excellence. The centres are located in Cameroon, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa and are coordinated by the AIMS-NEI Secretariat based in Rwanda. AIMS South Africa delivers a structured Master’s programme in mathematical science which is formally accredited by the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Western Cape. The other AIMS Centres offer a similar programme individually accredited or registered through institutions in their host countries.

The VISION of the AIMS Network is to lead the transformation of Africa through innovative scientific training, technical advances and breakthrough discoveries which benefit the whole of society

The Mission is to enable Africa’s brightest students to flourish as independent thinkers, problem solvers and innovators capable of propelling Africa’s future scientific, technological and economic self-sufficiency

The key elements of AIMSSEC's professional development programmes are:

• the up-skilling of mathematics teachers through professional development courses (content and pedagogy);
• establishment of a network of teachers across the country for support, sharing of ideas and resources (through the AIMSSEC AIMING HIGH teacher network);
• distribution of resources (through the AIMSSEC App and website);
• creation of an interactive school mathematics communication (through the AIMSSEC App and website); and
• encouragement of further study of mathematics and mathematics education (outreach).

AIMSSEC sets out to achieve the above-mentioned goals through the combination of a sequence of 7 shorter Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses for subject leadership and outreach to learners. Each course in their new 7-course sequence has a different educational focus addressing contemporary challenges that teachers face:

1. Mathematical Thinking (MT),
2. Language and Communication (as teaching mathematics in English as a second language is a serious problem, particularly in rural areas where English is seldom spoken outside the classroom, and
3. Inclusion and Differentiation (ID) catering to all abilities in large mixed ability classes,
4. Teaching Mathematics To Build Skills For The 21st Century (21st Century Skills),
5. Conceptual Development & Progression (CDP),
6. Action Research (AR), and
7. Subject Leadership (SL), Training Future Leaders In Mathematics Education.