A view of the Senior Block at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombassa. Courtesy of The Aga Khan Academy

As I complete my fourth year of teaching at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya, it dawns on me how quickly the bold vision set for this institution is being realised.

Now in its fifth year, the Academy in Mombasa is gaining new momentum on a number of fronts. Outside the window, a construction crane moves back and forth quickly, laying cement and limestone for the first phase of the ocean-view residential campus. The whole school celebrates each time a foundation stone is laid for a future Academy in another country.

The school year is replete with challenges and new experiences as students grapple with the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula. The Class of 2008 is the second cohort to write final examinations for the IB Diploma Programme, while the Year Seven class has begun its journey into the Middle Years Programme. Meanwhile, the first Primary Years Programme graduating class is presenting its summative assessment as an exhibition.

Students also learn to take risks and to challenge themselves in a variety of activities and service projects that prepare them to live life purposefully. Faculty encourage them to set lofty goals, while supporting them in their growth as they become informed decision makers.

The Academy is indeed moving quickly; there are high expectations and a steep learning curve for teachers. Faculty develop and implement new curriculum materials, facilitate co-curricular activities, take on internal leadership positions and write new policies for the residential campus. There are also opportunities for professional development available to those who demonstrate the aptitude and a willingness to learn.

Aziz Batada (centre) engaged in a demonstration with his Year 10 IGCSE Biology class at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa. Courtesy of The Aga Khan Academy

The Academies Programme strives to recruit the best teachers. It seeks out people with the sensitivity and mindset required “to help students combine a cosmopolitan spirit on the one hand, with a strong sense of cultural identity on the other,” as described by Mawlana Hazar Imam in August 2007, at the foundation ceremony of the Academy in Kampala.

It is a privilege for me to participate in educating the future leaders of East Africa. I have discovered that when all stakeholders become engaged participants and internalise the importance of an idea, its goals can be achieved. The Academy in Mombasa is a testament to this, and I look forward to many more rewarding years with the Aga Khan Academies Programme.

Aziz Batada is the Head of the Department of Science at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya.