EDUCATION
The AKDN’s education programmes cover a wide spectrum of activities ranging from early
childhood care and education through to degrees in medicine.
The Aga Khan Education Services, the Aga Khan Foundation, Aga Khan University, the Aga Khan
Academies and the University of Central Asia are the lead organisations in education, but all
institutions are involved in some form of training or education, whether it is through curriculum
reform, exhibitions of Islamic art or literacy programmes for employees of economic projectcompanies.
School improvement programmes and the professional development of teachers and administrators play a central role in strategies designed to improve access - with a special emphasis on girls - and raise retention rates and overall achievement.
- Learn more about AKF’s work in Education
'JAILOO' KINDERGARTENS IN THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
The Kyrgyz Republic is a country of immense beauty with strong nomadic traditions and culture that spans over centuries. With a population of five million people, Kyrgyzstan faces many challenges largely because of poverty, the rural nature and lack of industrialisation in the country.
Since its independence, The Kyrgyz Republic receives increasing but still inadequate attention from the international donor community to support the development needs and challenges of the country.
- Learn more about AKDN's work in the Kyrgyz Republic
When the Aga Khan Foundation learned that many rural Kyrgyz children were missing out
on kindergarten during the annual migration to the “jailoo”, or high pastures, for four to five months a year, it supported a programme to bring early childhood education to the mountains.
The summer migration to the jailoo follows a tradition that dates back over 2,500 years –
a tradition that was only interrupted during the Soviet era. To bring structured, active and
enjoyable learning opportunities to the jailoo, AKDN supports a system of linked central and
satellite kindergartens. Many of the satellite
kindergartens operate in village homes during the winter and in yurts (nomadic tents) during the summer pasturage.
The yurt kindergartens have been exceptionally popular. In response to demand, the teachers
have started organising activities for older children and have also set up small libraries in yurts
that cater to children from two to 14 years old. The concept has since expanded to other villages and summer pastures. Early surveys indicate that when children from the jailoo kindergarten programme enter primary school, they outperform others in both reading and maths.
To date, the programme has helped to:
- renovate and construct more than 50 kindergartens
- provide ongoing training for more than 80 staff
The programme has even caught the notice of the World Challenge, a global competition sponsored by BBC World, Newsweek and Shell "aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level".
For more information on the "jailoo" programme, please see the World Challenge website, including the film "Learning With-in tent".
For more information about AKDN's Early Childhood Development programmes, please see:
