Aga Khan Academy Dhaka introduces new Student Council cohort
Middle Years Programme
The Senior School of the Aga Khan Academy, Maputo, when it opens will be an IB World School offering the Middle Years Programme (MYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB).
Skills for Learning and Life
The Middle Years Programme caters for students in years 7 through 11 (ages 11-16). Students in the MYP are immersed in a challenging and enriching educational environment which emphasises the mastery of basic skills, the ability to analyse and think critically, the development of self-discipline and good work habits, the acquisition of computer literacy and progressive skill development.
The MYP helps students develop an awareness of how they learn best, of thought processes and learning strategies. The programme also encourages student reflection and connections with real world issues. It includes a service component designed to encourage students to become aware of community needs, and to learn from their involvement in carefully organised service activities.
The Curriculum
The MYP integrates the study of the major disciplines, including languages, sciences, literature, social sciences, mathematics, arts, technology and physical education. The five AK curricular strands, which are unique to the Aga Khan Academies, are integrated throughout the curriculum.
Students’ final performance in the MYP is assessed by teams of teachers and validated by the IB through a process of careful external monitoring and moderation of student grades. This process ensures parity of standards across some 600 MYP schools worldwide.
The Academies Network
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo is the third in a planned network of Aga Khan Academies being established in countries across Africa, South and Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The aim of the Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. We achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Admission is means-blind and based on merit to ensure access for eligible students regardless of financial circumstances.
"...the Academies will be serious, focused, rigorous environments – but at the same time they will be spacious and joyous places. They will operate on the cutting edge of knowledge and pedagogy, but they will be rooted in history and steeped in tradition."
When complete, the network of Academies will form a global learning community of approximately 18 schools in 14 countries (map).
They will eventually serve approximately 14,000 girls and boys of exceptional calibre, graduating 1,500 students annually.
For more information, visit our Academies network home page.
Tanya Kakkade: Chasing Big Dreams
Limitless opportunity and a chance to excel can provide the motivation for even the young to do whatever it takes to improve their lives. Grade eight student Tanya Kakkade believes that her education and growth at the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad will enable her to pick and choose from the top universities in the world.
The attraction of those possibilities drove her to leave her previous school in Chennai and come to Hyderabad. “I’d always wanted to join a residential school, but the Academy hadn’t been built last year and no grade eight program. This school has a lot of opportunities once you finish; it has a good way of learning and gives you leadership qualities.”
She likes the fact that the AKA doesn’t just focus on education and career development but also on becoming well-rounded adults, encouraging students to participate in a number of activities. Tanya also enjoys being able to try new things at the school during her free time and participating in clubs that will help her in the future, including theatre and publications.
“I want to become a layer; I enjoy fighting for rights and arguing. I can imagine myself getting out of school and getting a lot of job offers or applying for top universities.”
While Tanya left her family behind in Chennai, she hasn’t felt that going to school in Hyderabad has been particularly challenging.
“The school is like a family, so you don’t always miss home [and] they never make us feel homesick. My parents miss me a lot but they say that it’s for [my] education and the AKA is the best school so [they] sacrifice a little fear for [my] good future.”
With her passion for human rights, it’s obvious that Tanya has the makings of a successful professional in the legal field. “I’ve not decided yet, but I’d like to become a business lawyer. I always wanted to go [overseas], maybe apply to a lot of universities and pick from the best.”
In Tanya’s mind, regardless of her future plans, her experiences at the Aga Khan Academy have begun to give her a foundation that she can be proud of.
The Academies Network
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is the fourth in a network of Aga Khan Academies being established in countries across Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Middle East. The first Academy opened in Mombasa, Kenya in 2003, the second in Hyderabad, India in 2011 and the third in Maputo, Mozambique in 2013.
The aim of the Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. We achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Admission is competitive and based on student merit, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Each Academy endeavours to meet the demonstrated financial need of each admitted student.
When complete, the network of Academies will form a global learning community of approximately 18 schools in 14 countries (map). They will eventually serve approximately 14,000 girls and boys of exceptional calibre, graduating 1,500 students annually.
For more information, visit our Academies network home page.
Fee schedule test
Fee schedules for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Aga Khan Academy Mombasa Fee Schedule – 2018-19
Notes
1 The above fee is applicable to the residents of African countries and subject to an annual review.
2 A one-time Non-Refundable Admission Fee is payable for student enrolling for the first time. The admission fee must be paid to secure the place for a child in the Academy. This cannot be deferred or paid in instalments. The due date is one week after the offer has been accepted.
3 A one-time Refundable Security Deposit is also payable on acceptance of admission and should be paid together with the admission fee mentioned above. It is refundable when a student leaves the school as long as the required notice has been given in writing and “No Dues” clearance is obtained from the Academy. No interest is payable on this deposit.
4 The residential students will pay the premium for medical insurance separately as indicated in the fees table above. This will be arranged by the Academy and the premium will be due along with the first tuition fee instalment.
5 The following Residential Programme fees are applicable to international students and payable in USD: Grades 6 and 7: USD 25,800; Grades 8 to 10: USD 28,700; and DP Program: USD 35,900. All other charges are applicable as per the table above.
6 A Sibling Discount of 5% is applicable on Tuition Fees for the second child and subsequent children.
7 Tuition fee is payable in three equal instalments, no later than 15 July, 31 November, and 1 March for each academic year.
8 Tuition fees may be paid in full for the whole year with an early-payment discount of 3%, if paid before 15 July. This discount is applicable on the net amount payable after other discounts have been deducted.
9 The fees can be paid in US dollars or Kenyan Shillings. The US Dollars fees will be indicated on the invoice using the Central Bank of Kenya’s exchange rate on the invoice date. The Academy however reserves the right to change this policy.
10 The Academy will charge a monthly surcharge of 3% on the total outstanding dues older than 30 days, and in case the fees are not paid within one month’s period following the deadline, the student will not be allowed to attend classes as well as participate in the other activities undertaken by the Academy.
11 Tuition fee includes course fee, use of essential course books, library books, IT and science laboratory equipment and certain classroom supplies. This however does not include uniform.
12 Starting from Grade 4, students may also take up to three field trips including curriculum, bonding and optional trips, for which the parents will be invoiced separately. Information on these field trips will be shared with parents at least one month in advance.
13 Exam fees for MYP and Diploma will be billed separately based on actual fee from International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).
14 The Academy no longer accepts cash for fee payments. All payments must be made by direct bank deposit, bank transfer, or Mpesa even if payment is made by a third party such as a sponsoring organization. Parents must provide the finance office (mba-bursar@agakhanacademies.org), with a hard or an electronic copy of the proof of payment showing the full name of student and Student Identification Number within 15 days of fund transfer for issuance of payment receipt. Absence of this information may delay crediting the fees reflected on your account in our system.
15 Parents are responsible for ensuring that the fees payments are made into the correct bank account of the Academy. In the unlikely event of any change in bank account, the changes will be communicated to parents in writing via a hand delivered letter from the Academy.
16 If a student wishes to leave the Academy, one term’s advance notice of withdrawal must be given in writing or one term of the annual fees will be due and payable. School clearance will not be possible until any outstanding dues are settled in full.
17 The Academy reserves the right to withhold results, school certificate, transcripts or any other information and/or document until all outstanding dues are settled in full.
18 The admitted students, who demonstrate financial needs and duly fill in and submit the application with the required supporting documents with stipulated time, can be considered for Financial Aid. An independent Financial Aid Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving any request for Financial Aid by the students.
19 The above terms and conditions may be modified or new terms may apply to reflect changes in the law or our services. For further information please contact us at
MBA-BURSAR@agakhanacademies.org.
Kamila Janmohamed (Class of 2018): Reflecting on immense personal growth
My four-year journey at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa came to a close at a much faster pace than I am comfortable with. With graduation having recently taken place, I can’t help but look back at the immense growth I have undergone personally, socially and intellectually during my time here.
The prospect of joining the Academy had always sat passively on the horizon – I had cousins pass through the Diploma Programme here long before me, and a sister who soon planned to make the shift. So, at the age of 14, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when my parents suggested I move with her.
Leaving the comfort of my home and the company of friends with whom I had spent my entire academic career proved a lot harder than I anticipated. Coming from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, I faced less of a culture shock than many incoming students I would interact with over the years, but this didn’t soften the blow of finding myself in the middle of an entirely new education system. Here I was, an anxious teenager who had long since associated learning with the contents of a textbook, now being introduced to criteria, conceptual understanding and inquiry-based learning, all of which seemed like another language to me. Like most who have been in my position, I felt alarmingly overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of responsibility I had to take, both for my learning as an MYP (Middle Years Programme) student, and my well-being as a residential student.
I was lucky enough to have a dorm parent that year who was very perceptive to these challenges, and through her support, and that of several of my class teachers, I was able to integrate relatively seamlessly into life at the Academy. I was particularly struck by the attitude towards learning harboured by my peers, many of whom viewed it as a communal effort and helped me adjust to the new system. This culture of intellectual humility is something that I am honoured to have been able to contribute to over the last 18 months, by tutoring MYP students in subjects I found particularly challenging in the programme.
True to the school’s mandate to develop holistic individuals, I was encouraged to join several extracurricular activities, which empowered me to pursue my passion for learning and service. One of these was a community and service group called Learn and Earn, which operated under the residential programme’s weekend activities. As the coordinator for logistics and communication, I helped organise weekly sessions with students from a nearby school where we carried out activities to promote life skills, as well as sell food items that we had cooked together to raise funds for the renovation of their school’s kitchen. This was my first experience with planning and executing a project of such a scale, and it increased my interactions with members of both the school and the surrounding communities. That same year, I was encouraged by my biology teacher to participate in the 2015 Golden Climate Olympiad where my project on cost-effective biogas digesters earned a silver award.
Two years later, I drew on my experiences as a younger, and newer, student at the Academy to fulfil my role as a Dorm Captain. I have viewed this opportunity as one of my greatest ways of giving back to the community I have grown so much in. In addition to organising orientation activities and events for the residential community, my role has required me to serve as a bridge between the students and the teachers. In considering the perspectives of both parties when discussing administrative issues, I have developed a deeper understanding of the importance of good communication and empathy. By playing a coordinative role, I have been able to engage directly with the sheer diversity of the school community. Interacting with individuals of various backgrounds and opinions has taught me the importance of engaging in open-minded and meaningful dialogue, which has enabled me to broaden my horizons. As a student leader, I have come to appreciate the importance of respect for individuals not because of the authority they hold, but simply because of the fact that they are people, a value that resonates strongly with the Academy’s vision.
Learning to balance these responsibilities and my commitments to other extracurricular programs with the demands of the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme has stretched my abilities to manage and organise my time. Most of my courses have involved an extensive amount of critical thinking and have taught me not to look at academic subjects as separate entities. This has in part been catalysed by my Extended Essay on the economic implications of stroke, which focused on biology and economics. As a result, I have been able to make more meaningful conclusions from my learning, and to question things better. I am particularly grateful to my English teacher, whose classes stimulated thoughtful discussions about our world and why things are the way they are. Such platforms have been abundant in my time at the Academy, giving me the opportunity to voice my opinions, take on issues that I am passionate about and to develop a strong social conscience that has helped shape my identity.
As I consider what life will be like after graduation, I find myself saddened by the fact that I will soon be in a new environment without the strong network of support from teachers and students I have built here at the Academy. To these people, and my family of course, I owe not only my intellectual growth but also the strong sense of self I have developed. These are things that I hope to carry with me as I move on to pursue a degree in Global Affairs at Yale University, now with a larger family, concentrated in a region of the world I look very forward to coming back to work in.
By Kamila Janmohamed
Fiona Makena Kinyua: A transformed educator
“I was elated,” she says. “There were twenty graduates who made it to the final phase. I was one of them. It made me very happy because the TPP programme is very competitive.”
TPP, a multi-phase programme, was designed by the Academies to train outstanding graduates from public universities to teach one or more of the International Baccalaureate Programs (IB) schools. The initial component of the three-part programme, Choosing to Teach Institute was launched in Mombasa in 2013. This was followed by the other two components: Learning to Teach Internship and Teaching to Learn Residency. Today, the Programme is taught in all three academies.
The aim of TPP is to train teachers to become transformative educators in their communities with the vision, as the programme states, “to provide exceptionally talented and highly motivated Academies students with a rigorous academic and leadership-development experience.” The skills the trainees gain from completing any component of the programme are considered highly valuable, thus raising academic standards in the schools in which they teach.
Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Education Science, Fiona completed the TPP training in June 2019, and currently teaches mathematics and chemistry at the Naisula School, Kajiado County in Kenya. Highly motivated and ambitious for her young students, Fiona says it is her training with TPP that drove her to change her education approach. Her instruction is now entirely student- centered, she states proudly. She has whole-heartedly embraced inquiry-based instruction to engage her students and uses the education concept of differentiation to tailor her lessons to meet individual needs.
Fiona Makena Kinyua with TPP Coordinator Tom Abuto“I thank the TPP fraternity for the opportunity to train as an International Baccalaureate teacher. My teaching methods have changed. I remember initially I had a challenge in facilitating an inquiry-based lesson. I am now happy that I do that with ease. I differentiate and engage students. I now reflect and ask students for feedback. I am open and welcoming to colleagues coming to my classes and giving me feedback.”
This capacity-building endevour to improve the quality of education in local schools is clearly stated in the TPP mission statement which reads: “TPP seeks to develop teachers who are talented individuals with high professional expectations and aspirations; are creative and committed to their own life-long learning and self-improvement; and have a strong professional identity grounded in a well-articulated philosophy of teaching.”
The TPP’s curriculum makes a fundamental shift-from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning. It is designed to help teachers internalise the IB education philosophy.
“The TPP story is rich,” states curriculum coordinator, Tom Abuto, radiating pride and ambition for his students. He is quick to emphasise that only the topmost candidates are recruited into the rigorous and competitive full 18-month programme.
Fiona Makena KinyuaTPP is a model for a growing number of educators who believe that the programme is a much-needed engine for social change. The TPP is offered in partnership with University of British Columbia which provides programme quality assurance and external assessment of participants’ work.
TPP is also the first school-based programme to be recognised by the IB Educator Certificate in Teaching and Learning and the only such programme on the African continent. In addition, the programme is currently seeking recognition from the Cambridge International Examinations under their scheme of Professional Development Qualifications. It is also working towards recognition from the Kenyan Teacher Service Commission.
TPP educators believe that the programme’s distinctive curriculum has the power to train teacher-leaders to motivate students to become agents of social change in their communities. The programme endeavors to produce teachers who are reflective, purposeful and committed to life-long learning.
Fiona feels the skills she has acquired through her training with TPP have transformed her for life. They have completely altered her beliefs and thinking. “My students are now more engaged and enthusiastic. Through differentiation I am also able to be equally inclusive to all students of differing capabilities.”
Kelvin Njue (Class of 2015): Changing lives through education
“I believe that with education, people have the power to tackle and solve problems that affect their communities,” reflects Kelvin Njue, a graduate from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa.
Upon graduating from the Academy in 2015, Kelvin was unsure if he would be able to pursue higher education until he received an email about the Ontario Tuition Waiver Programme from his university counsellor at the Academy.
“I intended to go to university straight after high school, but I needed to take a gap year so that I could find the means to attend university.”
During his gap year after graduating, he found out about the waiver programme.
“I applied as I knew acquiring a university education would change my life and would open up many other opportunities. Without the tuition waiver programme, I was going to struggle to attend an institution of higher education. It gave me hope and is something that has allowed me to access quality education.”
During his gap year, Kelvin interned at the Diamond Trust Bank in Nairobi, assisting clients with their day-to-day banking needs and providing customers with banking solutions.
Kelvin is currently enrolled in the faculty of arts and science at the University of Toronto, aspiring to complete the financial economics (specialist) programme with a minor in employment relations. Kelvin shares his love for economics.
“I have always had an interest in economics and have wanted to study it since high school. I wanted to find a job during my gap year that would allow me to apply concepts in economics. I felt that working in the bank aligned with both my academic and career aspirations.”
In his first year of university, Kelvin was enrolled in economics, mathematics and sociology courses, of which sociology has been his favourite.
“I am really enjoying looking at social inequality and social institutions and how society functions. It ties into economics really well and how society works in different ways.”
When Kelvin is not studying, he spends his time playing intramural volleyball, playing drums with students from his dormitory and exploring Toronto. For Kelvin, one of the biggest adjustments he had to deal with in his move to Canada was the weather.
“I have been away from my family for many years attending school, so that wasn’t as difficult for me. The hardest thing for me was getting adjusted to the weather in Canada.”
Kelvin has embraced the cold winters in Canada, learning to ice skate this past winter. Kelvin is hoping to become more involved with extracurricular activities offered by the University of Toronto next year.
“For next year, I would like to join the Business Board on the University of Toronto governing council board. The opportunity allows members to manage different business activities that take place around the university and I am very interested in this. I also want to explore different sports next year and would like to join intramural teams.”
One of Kelvin’s passions that began to cultivate throughout his time at the Academy is ensuring that all people have access to a quality education.
“Because I have had so much support from the Academy and different programmes that helped to finance my own academics, I would also like to give this opportunity to other children to get the same quality of education that I have been able to acquire. I want to start up an organisation or programme that can offer financial support or scholarships for students so that they can also attend school and get an education.”
During his time at the Academy, Kelvin was able to visit a slum in Nairobi and worked with students from Grades 1 to 6 for a six-week period, partnering with the Aga Khan Foundation to distribute reading materials, books, pencils and bags to students living in the community. Kelvin attributes his passion for wanting to make a change in the world to his time at the Academy.
“I think the Academy was able to give me self-confidence and motivated me to believe that I am an agent of change in making the world a better place and that I should always take every opportunity to make a change, no matter how big or small it is."
By Karina Hussein
Erica Byenkya (Class of 2014): Contributing to society with love and generosity
Erica Byenkya, who is a fourth-year student at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada, is a graduate of the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa and originally from Uganda. Since leaving the Academy in 2014, Erica has been pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce at the university with a double major in marketing and computer and information systems. She is expecting to graduate from the university in May 2019.
“I think that my Academy experience was vital in my success in university so far,” Erica says confidently.
The Academy, she says, nurtured within her a love of volunteering that helped her make connections and friends and ensured she remained connected to her local community.
“I think that we were definitely more focused on encouraging independence and community service than the schools attended by other students,” Erica comments.
The experience of living in residence at the Academy, she says, also helped her become more self-sufficient and taught her how to take care of herself – this was useful when she moved to Canada for higher education.
At university, Erica has worked through three work terms as part of the cooperative education programme. In these three terms, she has worked as a marketing coordinator for a software development company and at a non-profit organisation focused on encouraging students and faculty in the sciences. She has also taken up volunteer work, including with a local after-school youth programme and as the public relations representative of the Saint Mary’s African Student Society (SMASS). She is currently preparing for her second year with SMASS.
Erica is also doing well in her academic work. She received an entrance scholarship from Saint Mary’s University, which was increased last year due to academic achievement. Erica thanks her counsellors at the Academy in Mombasa for supporting her with her applications.
“I had a very hard time writing my personal statements for my university applications and I know that without the help of my counsellors, I would not have been accepted into all the universities I applied to.”
At the Academy, Erica was one of the founders of a service group that aimed to support local farmers in the area by consulting with them about their families’ needs and fundraising to help meet those needs. Through their efforts in the first year, they helped one family send their youngest children to school, build a small shop to sell their wares and buy new seeds. The service group also helped pay the exam fees of the entire graduating class of a local school so they could all sit their final exams.
One of the many things Erica misses at the Academy in Mombasa is her wonderful friends.
“I am still in contact with some of them online but being able to spend so much time with them was a gift I am very thankful for,” she says.
Her most unforgettable experience at the Academy, which she is very proud of, was learning to play the violin; this, to her, was the most difficult to learn among other musical instruments. She fondly remembers her teachers: Mrs Mwandawiro, her dorm mother and chemistry teacher, and Mr Dudi, whom she calls, “my wonderfully dramatic English teacher.”
“They both pushed me very hard because they had high expectations for me, and while I did not perform as well as I hoped in chemistry, their expectations always encouraged me,” she says.
Erica chose to participate in the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme because she felt, and still feels, it offered her greater flexibility in her choices for the future.
“With the national curriculum, you are restricted to three subjects in your final two years," she says. "But I was unsure about the career path I wanted to take, so I really appreciated being able to further study interesting subjects in the IB programme while deciding what I wanted to do with my future."
Erica says her plans after graduating from university are to stay and work in Canada for a while and then eventually make the decision about whether to pursue a postgraduate degree.
“I do see myself coming back to Uganda, but before that happens I would like to travel more.”
When asked what she would focus on to improve the lives of people in her country if she had all the resources at her disposal, Erica hoped that one day she could contribute to the renovation of the Ugandan library system. She believes this would benefit all the citizens of Uganda, especially the young students whose schools may not have large libraries or who seek safe and productive spaces to spend their free time.
