The Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School,
Dar es Salaam

Regardless of which curriculum they opt for, all students have access to the full range of facilities and resources both in and out of the classroom. Our qualified career counsellor is also available to provide guidance on higher education, and scholarships from institutions around the world and career options.


About Us

Welcome to the Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, the first private secondary school to be established in Tanzania after the Arusha Declaration in 1967.

In our school, we are committed to offer first class education to all students, which will enable them to be responsible citizens of the world, future leaders, and reach their goals in life. To meet the needs of the community we offer two curricula, Tanzania national curriculum (NECTA) and International curriculum (Middle School Programme, IGCSE and IBDP). NECTA curriculum runs from Form 1 to 6. International curriculum covers Middle School Programme; this is offered from year 7 to 9 leading to International General Certificate for Secondary Education (IGCSE) which is year 10 to 11. International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) is a two year pre-university course offered in year 12 and 13. Our International curriculum is based on IB philosophy of preparing well rounded learners in both academics and spiritual wisdom. To meet this goal, our focus is not only on academic achievements of the students, but we also encourage their participation in sports, community service, creativity and action across the entire school. Mzizima has, since the 1980s, been at the forefront of educational innovation in Dar-es-Salaam and was one of the first schools to introduce inquiry-based learning methodologies and to integrate IT into all aspects of school life.

The School is divided into Lower School and Upper School. Lower School is Years 7- 9 and Forms 1 and 2. Upper School is Years 10 - 13 and Forms 3 - 6. The normal ages for entry are given in the table below.

Lower School


Age
International Programme
National Programme

11 Years
Year 7
-

12 Years
Year 8
Form 1

13 Years
Year 9
Form 2

Upper School


14 Years
Year 10 - IGCSE
Form 3 - 'O' level

15 Years
Year 11 - IGCSE
Form 4 - 'O' level

16 Years
Year 12 - IBDP
Form 5 - 'A' level

Year 13 - IBDP
Form 6 - 'A' level

Placement is decided on chronological age, as our experience shows children succeed best in such groupings. If parents feel their child would benefit from being placed out of their age group, the School will assess the child and discuss with parents to determine the best outcome. The School will make the final decision.

There are transition points for students who wish to move from the national to the international curriculum or from the international to the national curriculum. If you wish your child to switch, please contact the Head Teacher to discuss this.

There is flexibility in academic levels within each year group to ensure appropriate differentiation for each child’s individual abilities and potential.

Regardless of which curriculum they opt for, all students have access to the full range of facilities and resources both in and out of the classroom. Our qualified career counsellor is also available to provide guidance on higher education, and scholarships from institutions around the world and career options.

Message From the Heads of School

Welcome to the Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, Dar es Salaam!

We are excited to give you a glimpse into the life of our school and share the wide variety of exciting opportunities that are available to our students, staff and community. What we are able to offer your children during these important years will not only challenge them academically, but also enrich them well beyond the classroom.

The School offers two curriculum pathways to academic success. The international curriculum, which leads to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations and then on to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, and the national curriculum, which leads to the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) ‘O’ levels (Certificate of Secondary Education Examination or CSEE). The choice is entirely up to parents and their children. At the heart of our educational philosophy is the belief that every student matters and all our students should have the educational opportunities to become knowledgeable, responsible and articulate global citizens.

Our school is staffed with dedicated and caring teachers who strive to deliver the best education possible to all students in a warm and caring environment. Students are encouraged to develop their own potential with a challenging and engaging curriculum. Each student’s success is acknowledged and celebrated.

We give all students opportunities to become responsible members of the community by taking part in various activities through our creativity, activity, service (CAS) programme and leadership positions within school. As an educational institution, we believe it is our duty towards our society, and at large the whole of humanity, to raise our students as socially and morally responsible individuals.

As students move into our Senior School, they will become creative, critical and independent thinkers with the flexibility of thought best suited to the changing world they inhabit and change for the better as young adults. Thus, in addition to our energetic focus on academic attainment and very successful university placement, our education is equally attentive to the development of the whole person beyond the institutional worlds of school, university and work.

As an IB school, we live by values and attributes that declare our students and teachers as open-minded, principled and knowledgeable about the trending worldly matters inside and outside our campus. Our teachers not only encourage students to be inquirers and thinkers, but they also challenge students to be risk-takers so they can learn to be resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change. We admire and reward those students who strive hard to be caring and balanced in their respective responsibilities and commitments. However, since our community is inclusive of parents and guardians, we encourage you to be reflective. We entreat you to be our agent communicators in matters concerning the betterment of our organisation. Indeed, we highly appreciate and welcome your esteemed enquiries. 

For more information, please contact us.

Welcome!

Heads of School, Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, Dar es Salaam

Meet the Staff

Senior Leadership Team

Chief Executive Officer
Dr Shelina Walli

Chief Finance Officer
Karim Munir

Head of School (International)
Dr Arunananda Murkherjee

Head of School (NECTA)
Ernest Karata

Human Resource Officer
Fauzia Karlo

Facilities Manager
Andrew Bejumla

Administration and Support Services

Head of Admissions
Benard Thomas

Executive Assistant
Jamillah Said Salum

Accountants
Victor Toke
Shahista Samji
Annamaria Chipa

IT Technicians
Paresh Mistry
Fredrick Richard

Human Resource Assistant
John Charles Kayowa

Procurement and Logistics Officer
Gladness Joseph

Operations and Administration Officer
Bhoke Joseph Majige

Health and Wellness School Nurse
Ndeshukurwa E. Kimbelwa

Messenger
Said Matipa

Receptionist and Secretary
Truda Misanya

School Secretary
Habiba Nyenzi

Lab Technicians
Luhasha Daud
Mbarouk Boma
Moyo Hatibu

Librarians
Agripina Mtau
Basilius Babia

Drivers
Edgar Jave
Salum Omary

Cook
Ernestina Njuwa

Photocopier
Salum Omary

Senior Secondary School Faculty

IBDP Coordinator
Seema Adlakha

IGCSE Coordinator
Simon Mutuku Mutisya

NECTA Coordinator
Happiness Constatine

Science Department

Macdona Masali (Head of Department)
Hassan Nuru
Macdona Masali
Mohamed Haji
Nyaguli Malima
Rajab Mdede
John Peter
Shaista Amir Sadiqal

English Department

Vinita Tomar (Head of Department)
Silver Busobozi
Ruth Nyabio
Gulam Kobora Talib
Fanuel Nyama
Faiza Ahmed

Mathematics Department

Kausar Khan (Head of Department)
Hakme Dalali
Vyansekale Kazeze
Kofi Agyemang
Salvatory Shigeleko
Lucas Tibalila

Expressive Arts, Sports and Music

Aljosa Roels (Head of Department)
Ibrahim Myoka
Joyce Muthon
Asafu Kigava

Modern Foreign Languages

Veingattaramana Nadessane (Head of Department)
Yohanes Mapunda
Christopher Nikata
Antoinette Tshiani

Humanities, IT and Accounts Department

Pamela Mboya (Head of Department)
Reagan Omondi
Sakshi Ghosh
Samweli Kameme
Emmanuel Moses Mwankina
Hardeep Singh
Ally Omary
Ahmad Mussa
Ruchiparna Mahapatra

University/Careers and School Counsellors

Nikita Gidwani
Latika Josh

Student Learning Support Unit

Colman Gozbert
Eliamani Kivuyo

NECTA Subject Teachers

Head of Science Department
Emmanuel Jonas

Mathematics and Physics
Dickson Anyabwile

Mathematics, BAM and Physics
Judith Pande

Kiswahili and Civics
Festo Joseph Magome

Book Keeping, Commerce and Economics
Winifrida Mnubi

Chemistry and Biology
Florian Nelson Bessango

Geography and Kiswahili
Peter Chacha

Commerce and Accounting
Aboubakari Nyenga

Chemistry and Biology
Ahmed Mbarouk Nyenga

Civics, History and General Studies
Stanley Mnubi

ICS and Physics
Charles Ghati

History of Aga Khan Education Service, Tanzania (AKES,T)

The origins of the Aga Khan schools in Tanzania go back to the 19th century when a girls' school was started by the Ismaili community in Zanzibar under the guidance of the present Aga Khan’s grandfather and predecessor, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan.

By 1954 there were over 50 schools throughout Tanzania. Premises were generally custom-built and included laboratories, libraries and playgrounds.

Although initially mainly patronized by Ismailis, the schools were the first to open their doors to people of all races and faiths. In pre-independence East Africa, this was an innovative notion.

In Tanzania, all aspects of educational activities of private schools, other than their land and buildings, were nationalized in 1967. This did not affect the pre-school nurseries, which continued to operate under the control of the Aga Khan Education Service.

The Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School was built in 1967 in response to the closure of the schools. It was the first private secondary school to be established in Tanzania after the Arusha Declaration.

The School, since the 1980s, has been at the forefront of educational innovation in Dar es Salaam. It was one of the first schools to introduce inquiry-based learning methodologies and to integrate IT into all aspects of school life.

In 1993 the Aga Khan Primary School in Dar es Salaam opened and became the first English-medium primary school for local students in the country.