The Aga Khan Early Learning Centre (AKELC) Dubai is a purpose-built facility, for young children ages 12 months to 4 years, located within the Ismaili Centre Dubai (in Oud Metha), a building designed to promote cultural, educational and social programmes.
The AKELC provides nursery, preschool and educational training that follows the highest international standards of excellence. The Centre is accredited through the U.K. National Day Nurseries Association and is aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stages framework (EYFS-UK).
The Centre's secular, bilingual (English/Arabic) curriculum is offered to members of all communities, reflecting AKDN’s strong belief in the positive value of pluralism and diversity.
Awards include: U.K. National Day Nursery Runner Up Best International Nursery of the Year, U.K. National Day Nursery Runner Up Best Practitioner of the Year award, and 2017 Edarabia Parents’ Choice Award. AKELC also received the JAWDA 5 star exemplary rating in six critical areas of programme quality, including staff-child interaction, partnerships with parents and the community, learning facilities and health and safety policies.
The AKELC Dubai is a part of AKDN's global portfolio of early childhood development initiatives across Africa, South and Central Asia, which date as far back as the early 1900’s. The Centre’s curriculum is:
- bilingual Arabic/English
- broad in scope, holistic, non-denominational and developmentally responsive
- based on well researched approaches to early childhood education
- taught by competent early childhood educators
- implemented through active participatory learning where children are encouraged to develop knowledge and skills through interactions with the world and the people around them.
