The origins of the Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) schools in East Africa go back to the 19th century, when a girls' school was started in 1905 in Zanzibar by Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan III. During pre-independence East Africa, our schools were the first to admit students of all faiths, ethnicities and origins. Today, their commitment to pluralism is still at the heart of the services they offer.

AKES operates five schools in Kenya, two in Tanzania and two in Uganda, serving over 7,700 students, as well as a hostel in Madagascar.

The schools in East Africa offer both the country’s national curriculum and international curricula – the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. Many of our students and teachers undertake community outreach and voluntary work, such as supporting government school teacher training.

AKES has operated in Central Asia since 1998, now serving almost 30,000 students. We tailor our approach to the needs of each country, offering schools, and programmes for government school students and staff.

Kyrgyz Republic
The Aga Khan School, Osh in the Kyrgyz Republic caters for students in Grades 1 to 11. It follows the Kyrgyz Republic State Curriculum in English and Russian. Each year, the school provides professional development for teachers from government schools in Osh.

Our schools in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have been providing education since the beginning of the 20th century. The first school was established in 1905 in Mundra, Gujarat by Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan III, and is still operating today. Our first school in Pakistan began in the same year in Gwadar, Balochistan.

In the 1940s, during the Diamond Jubilee of Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan III, a major initiative was undertaken to establish more schools. These were particularly aimed at girls in northern Pakistan and in western India, for whom education was often inaccessible.

AKES now operates over 180 schools in South Asia, of which the majority are in Pakistan and many are in remote or rural areas. We improve the quality of education in some of the remotest parts of the world, while developing curricula that are compatible with the needs of rural communities.

In total, we serve over 62,500 students, with an equal proportion of males and females, and employ over 5,000 staff.

Pakistan

AKES, Pakistan is one of the largest private networks of educational institutions in the country. In the 1920s, our schools were established in Karachi and interior Sindh, and from the late 1940s until the 1970s, the network of schools expanded across Gilgit-Baltistan. In the 1980s, more schools were established in Chitral.

AKES, Pakistan serves almost 55,000 students. We have almost 4,000 employees, supported by over 2,000 volunteers. We operate six hostels to enable students from rural areas with little education provision to complete high-quality secondary education, allowing them to go on to university.

The schools follow the Pakistan National Curriculum and many use, or are transitioning to, the Aga Khan University Examination Board.

India

AKES, India manages eight schools, a network of 19 preschools and a hostel that provides access to education for students living in areas where such provision is not available. The schools serve over 8,100 students across Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana.

Bangladesh

The Aga Khan School in Dhaka, Bangladesh was established in 1988. It is one of the leading English medium schools in the country and offers international curricula.