The Aga Khan Approach
The Aga
Khan Schools strive to create
a harmonious balance between academic demands,
sporting and cultural activities and community
life. It challenges its pupils to be intellectually
inquisitive and socially conscious. The Lycée
believes that while what students know is important,
the true measure of a student’s education
is the ability to analyse what they do not know.
Developing critical thinking and analysis
is therefore at the core of the School’s
mission. The School also encourages students
to respect and appreciate other people’s
cultures, social structures, values and beliefs.
Taken together, these objectives are designed
to help equip children with the tools they will
need to make their way in school, society and
an increasingly interdependent world. The core
principles that guide the Aga Khan Education
Services in this pursuit are:
- the continuing pursuit of excellence in
educational practice and management in diverse
and challenging settings;
- child-centred teaching methods;
- a special emphasis on female education;
and
- school-based teacher training.
School History
The Aga Khan Lycée (AKL), Khorog, was
established in September 1998. His Excellency
Emomali Sharipovich Rakhmanov, the President
of the Republic of Tajikistan, inaugurated the
school with His Highness the Aga Khan.
The Lycée is built on the premises of
the former School #3 (named after Kirov), a
school with a distinguished history in Gorno
Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). When the
Lycée was established, a majority of
School #3's teachers, staff and students stayed
on.
The School is part of the Aga Khan Education
Services (AKES). It has a long tradition of
leadership in educational development. The foundations
of the present system were laid by Sir Sultan
Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III, under whose guidance
over 200 schools were established during the
first half of the 20th century, the first of
them in 1905 in Zanzibar, Gwadur in Pakistan
and Mundra in India. Since the creation of Aga
Khan Education Service companies in the 1970s,
the schools have been centrally administered
and managed.
AKES currently operates more than 300 schools
and advanced educational programmes that provide
quality pre-school, primary, secondary and higher
secondary education services to more than 54,000
students in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Kenya,
Kyrgyz Republic, Uganda, Tanzania and Tajikistan.
Schools are also envisaged, or under development,
in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique and Syria.
The Aga Khan Lycée supports three partner
schools in Khorog and three allied schools within
the districts. The support involves professional
development in three areas: education technology,
methodology and subject specific content. Teachers
from these schools come to the Lycée
on Methodology Days and for observation and
shadowing. AKL teachers go to these schools
for training and to observe lessons.
Objectives
The Aga Khan Lycée's goal is
to provide quality education to the people of
GBAO by offering an alternative to the predominantly
state-run schools. The school's objectives are:
- to prepare graduates for access to universities
in Tajikistan, the Commonwealth of Independent
States and elsewhere in the world;
- to prepare students for the challenges
of a global communication age and market economy;
- to be a Centre of Excellence for the region,
sharing best practices in curriculum, teacher
training and management.
School Population
In the 2003-04 academic year, 860 Grade 1 -
11 students were enrolled in the co-educational
school.
Parent-Teacher Activities
The parent-teacher meetings, held six times
annually, are attended regularly by up to
80% of the parents. Parents have shown a
keen interest in all Lycée matters
especially student events, activities, the
improvement of course standards and the services
and resources available to students. Teachers
are always present to discuss any issues.
Parents are invited to visit classes and
to comment and offer their observations.
Parents keep a journal of observations, which
is placed in the Staff room for access.
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