KARIBU KENYA - UNON - the United Nations Office at Nairobi

CHAPTER 6:
Facilities & Services
Education
Nairobi is home to a wide range of private pre-primary, primary and
secondary schools, several of which follow the British and American primary
and secondary syllabi (see following page). For international staff posted to
Nairobi, it is advisable to enquire about vacancies well in advance of one’s
arrival, as most of the best private schools are heavily subscribed.
International schools in Kenya generally follow the British school calendar,
with three terms running from early September-early December, early
January-late March, and late April-mid July. British syllabus schools offer
Common Entrance exams at the primary level and GCSEs/‘O’ and ‘A’ levels
in secondary schools. Three Nairobi high schools – Rosslyn Academy, West
Nairobi School and the International School of Kenya (the ‘American
School’) – follow the North American school calendar, the first term of
which usually begins in late August. A fourth school, Rift Valley Academy,
which is open to boarders in Kijabe, also offers the North American syllabus.
There are several schools maintained by foreign communities, with
classes in their native languages. These include the French, Japanese, Dutch,
Danish, German, Norwegian and Swedish schools. Nursery schools and
kindergartens offer an informal education for children aged three and
upwards, usually in the mornings, in many of the more upmarket residential
areas.There are also a few special education schools for children with special
needs, such as the Accelerated Learning Centre in Kileleshwa. Comprehensive
listings of Nairobi’s kindergartens and private primary schools are available at
www.theexpatriate.org, while details of primary and secondary schools, colleges
and universities, as well as information on courses and registration, are available
at www.kenyaweb.com/education/nairobi.html.
Courses on Kenya
There are several fun and informative ways to get to know Kenya, apart from
the obvious choice of a safari to one of her wilder areas.The Kenya Museum
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