The Aga Khan Education Service
The Aga Khan Education Service's mission is to “enrich lives” by enhancing and sustaining quality education programmes that are relevant and which prepare students to make their way confidently in an increasingly globalised world.

It currently operates and manages nine schools in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. It caters to around 10,000 students of which 42 percent are girls. Through approximately 565 school personnel, each school focuses on whole school-based change within the AKES, I schools and the mainstream education system.

The Service’s central office is Mumbai-based with three regional offices in Rajkot in Gujarat and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. Its programmematic areas include:

Schools Department
The School Development Programme (SDP) is a critical component of the schools and is funded by the European Commission through the Aga Khan Foundation, India. Committed school personnel with AKES,I focus on “whole school based change” to create a conductive environment for a child’s holistic development and develop schools as Education Resource Centres (ERCs). The SDP’s major focus is to spread its learning strategies to impact the larger education system, in particular the government system.

Rural Education Advancement Programme (REAP)
Based in the Rajkot regional office, the department manages 33 pre-primary units (Day Care Centres) and 10 Rural Primary Education Centres (RPE). The Day Care Centres offer integrated childcare services through a non-formal curriculum aimed at enhancing the child’s development at a critical age (2½ - 5½ years).

The Rural Primary Education programme provides an alternative to the generally poor quality local primary schools and sustains the head start gained at Day Care Centres. It introduces innovative resources built into the English, Gujarati, Math and Environmental studies school syllabus. Parental and community awareness and involvement is an important component of this programme.

As part of its various programmes, AKES,I also focuses on educational research, career guidance, capacity building of stakeholders and other educational interventions, all aimed at enhancing access to good quality education. Overall, AKES,I impacts 40,000 beneficiaries annually, by enriching their lives through quality education.

For more information, visit the Aga Khan Development Network website.