Aga Khan Academy Dhaka Construction Diary
It has been an incredibly busy month since our last construction update at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka! Our construction team have worked on the external brick work at all of the facades for our Nursery and Junior School. We are also pleased to see our Senior School courtyard! In addition, the team is wrapping up their work on the Nursery and Junior School classrooms, laboratories and administrative areas around the school.
We are so excited to see the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka campus coming together and we cannot wait for our students and staff to be welcomed on campus next year!
Walk for Freedom
On October 14th, students from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa joined tens of thousands of people around the world to fight against human trafficking.
Participants of the AKA Outreach Programmes
Said Mwabeha: Sparking a Light in Students by Transforming School Leadership
Said Mwabeha became a teacher in 1990. He was drawn to the profession because it provided an opportunity to positively impact a range of people. “Almost everyone on earth,” he explains, “be it a president, be it a doctor, be it an engineer—all of them pass through a teacher. So, to me, a teacher is a very important person.”
Mwabeha aspires to spark a light in others through his teaching and says the Professional Development Centre at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa has enhanced his ability to do so. As the Head of Vuga Primary School in the coastal area of Kenya, Mwabeha attended a course focused on Leadership Management at the Academy.
“It really transformed me,” Mwabeha says of the course, which dealt with how Heads of School could make better use of their resources to enhance academic performance. While he previously undertook initiatives to improve the school as a “one-man shop”, he now takes an integrated approach to solving problems that involves a range of teachers, parents and students.
The Academy’s programme also spurred the creation of an association of teachers in Kwale County, where Vuga Primary is located, at the end of 2012. As Chair of Kwale Educational Leaders' Association, Mwabeha is leading teachers from 23 schools in formulating a strategic roster of activities to strengthen their academic performance. Their strategy is two-pronged. On the one hand, they plan to undertake workshops and other initiatives to improve pedagogy. On the other, they are organising awareness meetings and conferences for parents and teachers to discuss the importance of education. They hope to overcome the challenges and problems created by families that do not prioritise education.
Meanwhile, inside the classroom, Mwabeha is working hard to spark intellectual curiosity in his pupils. After receiving training in pedagogy at the Academy, he has promoted the use of more participatory teaching methods, both in his own classroom—where he teaches Social Studies and Religion courses to students in grades 4, 6 and 8—and in those of his colleagues. “It gives [the students] an opportunity to explore more and to discover more by themselves,” he explains. He previously spent the majority of classroom time lecturing, as is common in Kenya, but finds that facilitating class discussions is more fruitful.
By Alia Dharssi
Asad Bogani: The Adventure of a Lifetime
Leaving one’s home and family is a daunting task for any person, but even more so for children. However, the lure of a better education and a new adventure can provide ample motivation for students to leave everything they know and follow their dreams.
For grade nine student Asad Bogani leaving his family and friends in Dubai and traveling to India to attend the Aga Khan Academy (AKA) in Hyderabad was a personal decision rooted in a need to become his own person.
“It was something of a personal decision on my side. I really love Dubai [it is] my home, but I thought I should try something out of my comfort zone. I decided I should be on my own now and live by myself.”
The AKA has allowed students to not only have access to a world-class education but also activities that will help them with interpersonal growth. “I play football, volleyball, a bit of basketball, but my favorite sport is cricket,” says Asad, who is looking forward to playing cricket at the Academy.
Beyond extracurricular activities the students’ time is also taken up by personal chores. “There’s so many activities going on and you have your own life, like cleaning your cupboard and keeping neat; a lot of things happening as compared to my life in Dubai,” explains Asad.
Though Asad is finding lots to enjoy about his experience at the AKA there are always challenges to uprooting oneself from familiar surroundings. “My parents really miss me and I’m really missing home as well, but they’re supporting me and what I’m trying to do here,” he says.
But a little bit of homesickness is a small price to pay for a future that he will now be able to look forward to, one he hopes will mesh his love for sports, especially cricket, with his favorite subject—Mathematics.
“Maths is really fun to do. I’d love to do something related to Maths, like statistics and join it with sports, like a sports statistician, something related to cricket because that’s my love. I’d really like to combine the two of them and work towards making that as my career. After completing my diploma program here I’m aiming for university in England and onto my career.”
With ambitions and an educational foundation that will go the distance, Asad is well on his way to creating the life he’s imagined for himself.
Admissions Enquiries
Our admissions team can help with all queries about becoming a student at the Academy, and with questions regarding the application process. Admissions office contact information:
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8.30 am–4.30 pm IST
+91-40-66291300
Email: admissions.hyderabad@agakhanacademies.org
Write to the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad (online form)
Where to find us:
The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad
Survey No: 1/1, Hardware Park
Maheshwaram Mandal, R.R. District
Hyderabad 501 510
Telangana, India
Indira Bulhan: Discovering Universal Success
“Physics has been the subject which never failed to fascinate me. It always made me question, understand, explore and enjoy at the same time. However, I am more interested in looking for things which are yet hidden from human intellect. I like doing things which no one has done before. I aspire to become an astronaut someday.”
It is Indira’s belief that her time at the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad will play a key role in allowing her to achieve her dreams and further her ambition to explore the mysteries of the universe.
“At the Academy, a school day is not just a normal school day, but an incredible journey. Every day is like a new exploration filled with fun and thrills. I enjoy the entire school day as it is filled with fun, challenges and of course, loving friends and supportive teachers.”
Life at the Academy, however, is not simply about gaining a classroom education. For students like Indira, the Academy places great emphasis on learning life lessons through the community service programs that are part of their extracurricular activities. By teaching students the importance of caring about others, the Academy instills a sense of altruism and accountability that will hopefully grow as the students move forward with their lives.
“My favourite extracurricular activity is Caring Hands. [As a group], students go to an organisation where abandoned, ill and stray animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits and birds are kept and taken care of. Being an animal lover, I love going to the place where I can care for the animals and make them happy, even for a little while. Sometimes, language is not required to understand each other and to build a bond and this becomes evident when we go to Caring Hands.”
With her incredible appetite to explore the known and unknown universe, Indira is well on her way to making a remarkable contribution to our society at large, which she hopes will make her father proud.
“My role model in life is my dad. He is the one who never gives up hope and never fails to see the beauty of simplicity. He believes in himself and originality [and is] someone who wants to do something different than what others are already doing. He has always been a source of inspiration for me.”
By Uzma Rajan
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International Baccalaureate
The academic programme at the Aga Khan Academies was developed following the principles of the International Baccalaureate (IB), a world-class educational programme that emphasises rigorous, consistent schooling aligned to international standards. As a result, the Academies' Learner Profile exemplifies students and faculty that are open-minded, principled, reflective and inquiring individuals.
The International Baccalaureate programme provides international standards of evaluation, allowing students to pursue post-secondary education at world-class institutions of their choosing, with the skills for independent, creative thought and inquiry. It has become the curriculum of choice at international schools throughout the world.
The IB has come to be known not only for academic excellence but also for promoting pluralism – an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, languages and points of view.
The IB originated in Switzerland when teachers at the International School of Geneva, working with schools in Asia, Europe and the Americas, created the IB Diploma. The programme is administered by the International Baccalaureate, a non-profit institution based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Through its Primary Years (nursery school to year 5), Middle Years (years 6–10), and Diploma (years 11–12) Programmes, the focus is on creating a globally relevant education, with the integration of local contexts. Additionally, students at each Aga Khan Academy are instructed in both English and the national language, so they are able to work within their communities as well as around the world.
For more information on the International Baccalaureate, please visit the IB website.
Welcome
Welcome to the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad! I hope this website will capture your imagination and give you some insights into this remarkable school. We are part of a global network of schools unleashing the potential of young people! Inspired by the vision of His Highness the Aga Khan, we offer world-class education to exceptional students of all backgrounds or financial circumstance.
Our graduates are reflective, compassionate, adventurous and creative. They go on to excellent universities around the world as confident global citizens empowered to make a positive contribution in a changing world. Our curriculum is challenging, engaging and experiential – allowing students to find their strengths and develop their passions. Our state-of-the-art campus has exceptional facilities in a beautiful natural environment.
An Academy education combines the very best features of a high academic challenge with a unique approach to the enrichment and personal development of young people. We prepare our students for exams and we equip them to earn a living, and we do all of these things with rigour which nurtures the potential and achievement of each individual. Yet the education we offer is designed to go far beyond these goals; to develop the whole person and not just a part; to help each individual to become, in the words of our mission statement, "fearless learners who are culturally-rooted and internationally-minded.”
Visitors discover a friendly and dynamic atmosphere here – there is a determination to succeed, to enjoy life, to enjoy each other's company and, most importantly, to discover that there is far more in each of us than we think!
Dr Jonathan Long
Head of Academy
Primary Years Programme
The Junior School of the Aga Khan Academy, Dar-es-Salaam is preparing for authorisation as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP).
Foundations for Lifelong Learning
The Primary Years Programme focuses on the development of the whole child. It is geared towards creating independent, confident and respectful learners.
Our classroom curriculum and after-school activities address the children's social, physical, cultural and ethical development while giving them a strong foundation in all the major areas of knowledge.
The curriculum consists of five essential elements:
- concepts
- knowledge
- skills
- attitude
- action.
The core subjects we cover include English language, mathematics, social studies, science and technology. Our programme also includes a beginning computing course, physical education, music, art, French and Portuguese.
Students and teachers explore questions in all subject areas using an interactive, student-centered approach. The knowledge element of the curriculum is enhanced by six themes that are studied across the various subject disciplines. These are:
- who we are
- where we are in place and time
- how we express ourselves
- how the world works
- how we organise ourselves
- sharing the planet.
The PYP develops well-rounded students who are well versed in all areas of knowledge. They learn to be intellectually curious, principled, caring, open-minded, well balanced and reflective learners.
Please visit the Admission Requirements page or contact us to find out more about applying to the PYP at the Academy.
