The International School of Tanganyika (IST), founded in 1963, is an international school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The school is an IB World School[1] that hosts the Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma programmes. IST operates on two campuses in desirable suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. IST Elementary serves children from age 3 to Grade 5 while IST Secondary, 5 kilometers away, serves Grades 6 – 12. IST is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Middle States Association (MSA).
Students at IST
IST is a diverse international school currently serving about 1000 students from across the globe: 22% of the students are Tanzanians, 15% American, 10% British, 8% Indian, and the remainder from approximately 60 other nationalities. The Elementary Campus offers programmes for students from age 3 to Grade 5 and the Secondary Campus offers programmes from Grade 6 to 12. IST families are a mix of long-term residents, Tanzanian citizens, expatriates in a growing private sector, and NGO and diplomatic workers from numerous donor countries. To be admitted to the pre-Kindergarten a child must be 3 years of age before September 1.
IST is open to anyone and everyone from all over the world. The school offers preschool for children aged 3–6, Primary school for children aged 6–11 and Secondary school for children aged 11–18. In addition to their academic studies, all students from Grade 6 and up engage in the community service-learning aspect of the IB CAS programme.
Teachers at IST
In the 2017-18 school year, IST has about 120 teachers, including from the US, the UK, Tanzania, Canada and about 14 other countries. IST commits considerable resources to staff development and has a strong, collaborative professional culture.
Academic performance
The average points score for IST students in the Class of 2017 was 34 (out of the maximum possible 45), compared with the worldwide average of 29.95 points. Students in the Class of 2017 earned 7 points (the maximum score possible) in the following higher level subjects: physics, biology, economics, geography, psychology and theatre. Two students earned bilingual (Swahili-English) diplomas.
Special activities
Students and teachers take part in a range of adventure activities including annual treks up Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru, trips to outstanding wildlife areas, camping, snorkeling, and sailing activities and beach peer-bonding days. Elementary students partake in overnight trips beginning in Grade 4. All Secondary students in Grades 6-11 annually participate in Extended Study Program week that includes trips around Dar, to Zanzibar and throughout Tanzania. They also have an opportunity to travel outside the country with the Model United Nations program, taking part in The Hague International Model United Nations as well as other MUN trips.
