Admission Requirements
The Academy uses a multifaceted assessment in identifying students. The assessments enable students to demonstrate their cognitive, literary, mathematical, creative and leadership abilities.
Admission is competitive and based on student merit.
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Nursery School
Kindergarten 1, 2 and 3: Early Years Programme
Students entering Kindergarten 1 must be 3 years of age by 31 July of the year of entry.
All prospective students must demonstrate the potential for high achievement. Each applicant will participate in a variety of assessment exercises. Assessment exercises include different sets of skill tests (communication skills, social skills and motor skills).
Junior School
Grades 1–5: Primary Years Programme
Students entering year 1 should have completed at least three years of nursery school and must be 6 years of age by 31 August of the year of entry.
All prospective students must demonstrate a potential for high academic achievement and demonstrate competency in literacy and numeracy. Each applicant from Grades 2-5 must sit a standard assessment in logic, English (reading and writing), mathematics and creativity. Applicants will also have personal interviews with key members of the Junior School staff as part of their application process.
Senior School
Grades 6–10: Middle Years Programme
All students applying for a place in the Senior School must have attained high scholastic achievement in their former educational institutions. They must also demonstrate a keen interest and participation in community service projects outside the classroom and/or extracurricular activities such as sporting activities, clubs, arts and music.
All applicants must schedule an appointment for a standard assessment test in logic, English, mathematics and problem-solving at the school, in addition to providing past student grade reports and certificates of achievement. Applicants will also have personal interviews with key members of the Senior School staff as part of their application process.
Diploma Programme
Grades 11–12: Diploma Programme (DP)
Applicants for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, must have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement as well as a proven record of civic mindedness and participation in community projects.
The application process requires prospective students to undergo a standardised assessment test in English, mathemathics and logic as well as an interview with IB Diploma Programme coordinators and key members of the Senior School staff.
New students will not be accepted in the year of the Diploma exam.
International Baccalaureate
The Aga Khan Academy, Dar-es-Salaam follows the principles of the International Baccalaureate (IB) and is preparing to become an authorised IB World School.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a non-profit educational foundation, motivated by its mission to create a better world through education.
The three IB programmes for students aged 3 to 19 help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalising world.
Aims of the IB Programme
Founded in 1968, the International Baccalureate currently works with 3,423 schools in 141 countries to develop and offer their programmes to over one million students.
Their mission statement declares: "The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
"To this end the organisation works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right."
The IB is more than its educational programmes and certificates. At heart they are motivated by a mission to create a better world through education.
They value their hard-earned reputation for quality, for high standards and for pedagogical leadership. They achieve their goals by working with partners and by actively involving stakeholders, particularly teachers.
The three programmes are:
Primary Years Programme
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) focuses on the development of the whole child, addressing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs, while giving students a strong foundation in all of the major areas of knowledge.
Through the PYP, children become aware of and sensitive to the points of view of people in other parts of the world.
Middle Years Programme
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) integrates the study of all the major disciplines, including languages, sciences, literature and the social sciences, mathematics, arts, technology and physical education.
The MYP normally includes a service component designed to encourage students to become involved with their communities.
Diploma Programme
The Diploma Programme (DP) is a two-year course of study that prepares students for university. All DP students study languages, a social science, an experimental science, mathematics and, usually, an arts subject.
At the same time as it provides a form of academic passport, the DP generally fulfils the requirements of a student's national education system. Each student's performance is evaluated by independent examiners and measured by his or her levels of knowledge and skills relative to set standards applied to all schools.
For further information please visit the website of the International Baccalaureate at http://www.ibo.org.
Onwards and Upwards
Congratulations to the Class of 2022! We are so proud of you and cannot wait to see what you do next. As we welcome the new graduating class to our alumni community, we asked four distinct graduates from the Aga Khan Academies in Mombasa and Hyderabad about their journeys and aspirations.
Imra Dawoodani, AKA Hyderabad
Plans to join the University of California, Berkeley in the USA to study electrical engineering and computer science.
What drives you? What is your superpower?
The impact of experiences. Experiences have moulded the most intricate details of the world as I see it. Whether new, old, unexpected or a planned experience, each circumstance prompts the creation of a new approach within me, defining my ability to adapt to a multitude of situations. Sometimes it outlines my path, in other cases it intrigues me to look for one.
How did the Academy impact you?
It has been a journey. Exposing me to every emotion one could feel, pushing me forward every second because life never stops, and opening routes to a variety of opportunities, the Academy has thoroughly done its part in making me realise that I am the only one who can take a call for myself.
You are a new addition to the crayon box; what colour would you be and why?
Grey may not seem like the ideal choice, but it depicts my conflicted self. I am the one trying to figure out light and darkness, ebbs and flows, the balance between emotions and practicality. A simpler derivative to this conclusion would be my utterly annoying indecisiveness. I would be the one to mix sushi and dal, however horrendous it sounds, because I just cannot choose what I want to eat today.
Jacintha Thota, AKA Hyderabad
Plans to join the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK to study politics and economics.
What drives you?
Two things that have driven me for a very long time are fascination and long-term goals. I am someone who just loves the idea of learning new things. Whatever I put my mind to is always driven by a sense of love, a sense of wonder, whether that's my academics or my extracurriculars. That fascination keeps me going. When it comes to long-term goals, I do know I want to work in the field of economics when it comes to equity or sustainability and that has shaped my interests and path.
How did the Academy impact you?
The most profound impact has been that it has shown me the world is so much bigger than the bubble that you grow up in. It brought together people from different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. It has shaped my goals to be community-oriented and it has shown me that being a good person is having the right mindset and being tolerant of new ideas and new people.
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
COVID-19 lockdowns and the kind of terror it put around the world when I was doing my Diploma Programme journey meant it was incredibly hard to stay motivated when people were suffering around you by the thousands. It left me with a sense of cynicism and feeling really demotivated. But actually, coming back to the Academy and being around people again reminded me just how much I valued this community. It definitely helped overcome the sense of dread I had started to feel during those 18 months or so.
Khushi Bajaria, AKA Mombasa
Plans to join the University of Miami in the USA to study health science (pre-med).
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? What was your best mistake?
I faced the challenge of making friends because of the way I felt the need to please my friends continuously. However, as I focused time on my goals, I eventually became part of a diverse group of friend groups. I also first thought it was a mistake that I ignored the warning from my personal project coordinator to not go ahead with my idea as it may impact my grades if I fail in it. However, as I believed in the impact it could make and communicated it with the right people, I was able to be successful and make a greater impact than expected.
How would you describe success and what do you hope to achieve in the next five years?
Success is a never-ending mountain with large rocks of joy and glee that help one stay stable, and numerous smaller rocks that keep pushing one to slip backwards in their journey of meeting their expectations. The soil of the mountain is then like family and friends that support and help piece part of this journey together to make success what it is. I hope to have completed my bachelor's degree in health sciences and my first year of medical school over the next five years. I also hope to have expanded my project (teaching Grade 5 to 7 students how to create an eco-friendly microscope). I hope by then, I shall have taught the developmental process in more than 15 schools in different countries through an international team.
Mishal Lalani, AKA Mombasa
Plans to join Middlebury College in the USA to study microbiology and biochemistry as well as geography and sociology.
What are your plans after graduation?
Firstly, I plan to sleep, have fun and just wind down all the stress over the past two years. I also look forward to and plan to spend time with my family before I leave for university in August, as well as the friends who live around me. Similarly, I hope to do a short internship at the Aga Khan Hospital in Mombasa just to grasp the healthcare environment as that is what I hope to pursue in the future.
What drives you? What is your superpower?
What has particularly always driven me is the community around me. Seeing the community improve when I help out or participate in different community projects makes me want to go the extra mile and do more.
How did the Academy impact you?
The Academy made me an all-rounded individual and made me a global citizen. Being the first cohort to go on the Student Exchange programme, I felt very privileged to be at the Academy and to have access to such amazing opportunities that will indeed be spoken about and recognised for the rest of my life. I made the most special memories at the Academy. Most importantly, the Academy taught me that no matter who I am or where I come from, I can make a change if I want to. This was the biggest lesson for me, and I believe it will take me far in life.
Teacher Professional Development
Promoting excellence in teaching, both on campus and more broadly, is a fundamental goal of the Aga Khan Academies. Each Academy has a Professional Development Centre (PDC), which strengthens the profession of teaching in the region by investing substantially in teachers’ professional development.
Developing strength in teaching
We identify and develop teachers of the highest quality who are committed both to the all-round development of young people and to their own professional growth as excellent teachers.
Our PDC supports excellence in teaching by promoting best practices in teaching and learning. We provide ongoing, collaborative training for Academy faculty as well as outreach programmes for teachers and head teachers from neighbouring government, private and not-for-profit schools. Our faculty members also have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across the globe and to teach abroad within the Aga Khan Academies network.
Outreach programmes
Our outreach progamming includes a course from the Professional Learning for Educators Series (PLES). The PLES programmes are designed by the Aga Khan Academies. They respond to the need to improve the standard of teaching and learning identified during extensive market research and interaction with government and departments of education.
The series includes programmes for teachers in various subject areas as well as specialised programmes focusing on skills and understandings related to education. We build professional competence by enhancing teachers’ subject knowledge and by examining how to teach that subject effectively. Each programme provides participants with a balance of intensive learning activities followed by an extended period of assisted application and observation within their own classrooms.
Strengthening curriculum and community
Through our professional development provision, we help create a professional community of competent, well-resourced teachers. These teachers will continue to support and collaborate with one another on materials development, by sharing best practices, and in establishing diverse academic, cultural and social projects.
Sazil Ramani – an ‘Academy advocate’ for service and social change
– Sazil Ramani, grade 10, Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.
Sazil joined the Academy at its inception in 2011 and has since discovered many passions and predilections. “After coming here, I realized that I have a talent for photography, and am pretty good at design too. This year, I got to not only act in the annual summer productions as part of our drama class but also designed the posters and brochures. The Academy has given me many opportunities to prove myself, and I am sure this will help me in choosing a career in the future.”
His favourite subject is science, because he likes discovering new things, especially with regard to the realities of life and our surroundings. In particular, he enjoys scientific pursuits because they provide appropriate evidence to back the claims they make, and this makes it possible to persuade others towards positive social, economic and political change. Sazil aspires to be a mechanical engineer.
“As I am a residential student, I get a lot of opportunities to experience different aspects of life at the Academy,” says Sazil. “What I find most unique is the studious and peaceful environment, the greenery around us, the people from different backgrounds and cultures living with us, the facilities provided and the number of opportunities we get to prove our talents.”
Sazil’s biggest role model is His Highness the Aga Khan. “His hard work and dedication, his vision of a better world and his mission to improve the quality of life of those less fortunate. I have a similar vision and that’s why he inspires me.”
Watch a video Sazil made compiling visual anecdotes of diverse service experiences of his classmates and himself at various government school sites.
Kashyap Gohel (Class of 2011): Providing solutions to improve the world
Kashyap Gohel has been pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture programme at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi, Kenya since graduating from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa in 2011. "My top marks at the Aga Khan Academy earned me a government scholarship which is about 85% of the annual fees for my architecture course of six years," says Kashyap very proudly. He expects to graduate from JKUAT in June 2017.
"I think the main values the Academy instilled in me were positive attitude, time management, assertiveness, competitive spirit and self-confidence. These are values that I apply on a day-to-day basis to form the foundation of a successful career in art, product design and architecture," Kashyap says confidently. He also adds that the confidence that his skill set gives him takes him further than most in trying challenging and new projects in his field. With this experience in mind he says, "I am sure I shall be quite a pioneer in creating world-changing ideas."
Kashyap believes the coursework at his university and his time management are going smoothly due to the intense training at the Aga Khan Academy. "Coming from the Academy, I believe it set me a level ahead of others, enabling me to go further than my fellow students." He also values the International Baccalaureate curriculum. "It is the only system that I know of that makes it possible for one to develop holistically. One does not just learn academics, but also extracurricular activities, leadership skills, developing talents and solving community problems," he says emphatically.
Since graduating from the Aga Khan Academy, Kashyap has participated in many major events and activities that have brought him recognition and accolades. He was a winner of the Perstorp Open Innovation Challenge 2016 in Sweden which involved submitting ideas on making, repairing and remolding furniture into new shapes and designs rather than disposing of used or broken pieces in landfills. Kashyap has also won the Disruption by Design Award for architectural design in 2015. Other accomplishments include being awarded a tender to create a 14-foot-tall carving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya in 2014 and winning the first round of the Thought for Food Challenge 2013 – an annual competition that challenges university students to develop an innovative solution to improve food security. He also won an international graphic design contest for an Irish boat-making company and has displayed his artwork at Diani Beach Art gallery, Tazama Art Gallery and Kenya Art Fair.
Kashyap was also nominated and sponsored to attend the One Young World conferences in Pittsburgh, USA in 2012, and in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2013. These summits gather the brightest young leaders from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections and develop solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.
Kashyap is particularly proud of his first community service project, called Project Desert Farms. He designed this as an architectural solution to help communities on the coast to filter ocean water, obtain housing and food, and reduce deforestation. This project was selected as a finalist project from a worldwide participation of 140 teams, and the only one in Africa that made it to the Thought for Food Global Summit in Berlin, Germany.
While at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa and after graduating in 2011, Kashyap has been actively involved in many projects and volunteer activities and has also worked for the Academy and other companies in his field. In 2011 he worked with planning and construction management at the Aga Khan Academy. He also volunteered there as a theatre teacher for years 7–10 in 2012 and was involved in the design of two of the Academy’s residential blocks.
Kashyap's most unforgettable experience at the Academy was being a dorm captain in the residential programme. "One of the things I miss about the Academy is the organisation…[and the] efficient order in the way it operates," he comments. Another thing he misses about the Academy is the facilities. "It’s only after leaving the Academy that you appreciate the constant high speed Wi-Fi, adequate number of desks and chairs for students, high-class sports facilities and equipment, and most of all the great ocean climate and friendly people. As they say, nothing beats home," Kashyap reminisces nostalgically.
A milestone achieved at AKA Maputo
Welcoming the 2019 Teacher Preparation Programme cohort
World Teachers' Day 2020
Embracing the 'new norm'
