KAIS MEMBERSHIP IN BRIEF
Who is KAIS?
The Kenya Association of International Schools (KAIS) is a membership association representing over 40 international schools in Kenya. KAIS has a significant footprint in the country, currently providing education to over 20,000 students hailing from Kenya, Africa diaspora, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. KAIS is truly an international community of schools.
KAIS exists primarily to provide an advocacy linkage between the sector and the government, to promote best practice, to offer mutually agreed support services to members and to coordinate the identification and resolution of issues of mutual concern and importance to member schools.
Our goal is to promote and represent the best interests of international schools so as enable them to win recognition for their value and contribution as outstanding educators of children, as a thriving business sector and as an important component in the development of the country and the region.
Throughout our existence, the most defining feature of the Association has been our determination to focus all of our activities on best serving our Member Schools; whether this be by advocacy and lobbying, providing continuous professional development for those in our ecosystem, elevation of teacher training or elevating child protection.
As educators we also recognize the need for wholistic education. To that end we are extremely supportive of sports and the performing arts.
It is our hope that the next ten years will see the association embed itself as a champion of quality education and the conduit through which the international school sector in Kenya takes its place as the leader on the continent.
Our Vision
To be the voice of advocacy for international schools making Kenya the international education hub of Africa.
Our Mission
To promote and protect the interests of international schools through advocacy, enhancement of collegiality and promotion of best practice enabling them to win recognition as outstanding educators of children, a thriving business sector and an important component in the development of the country and the continent.
Our Core Values
We are an inclusive and involved community of international schools who embrace; i. Internationalism – We deliver internationally focused curriculum that encourages open mindedness, tolerance and cross-cultural understanding.
- Integrity – we require personal integrity, ethical behaviour and common purpose iii. Equity, Equality and Diversity – We promote an open and caring dialogue in which each voice is heard
- Corporate Social Responsibility – we advocate social responsibility and community service
- Respect – we respect our host country’s culture, traditions and environment vi. Mentoring – we offer enrichment programs to our community
vii. Creativity – We emphasize critical thinking and inquiry based learning
Becoming a Member
Membership of the Association is open to International Schools in Kenya meeting the criteria set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association of KAIS and the KAIS Constitution.
Affiliation membership is extended to associations and/or firms which have direct interest in the expansion of the international school sector, either through the provision of services or other inputs. This membership status is not open to schools
In addition to Affiliates, the Association may from time to time invite institutions that do not qualify for either ordinary or affiliate membership in the Association to participate in any way in its activities. Such invitations shall not constitute invitations to membership.
Application Process
- Interested schools wishing to join KAIS will express their interest in joining the association as a member. This may be via the KAIS website or in an email to the secretariat administrator info@kais.or.ke.
- Once this has been received, the Secretariat will write back to the school requesting them to submit a “Letter of Intent”. The LOI is an official letter from the Head of School providing some history of the school, current status and reasons as to why the school would like to join KAIS. This will be submitted together with the completed forms in the Membership Application Package.
- Simultaneously, the Secretariat will forward to the School a Membership Application Package which will consist of:-
- An Invitation Letter to apply for membership;
- An Application Form (F1);
- A copy of the Code of conduct;
- Once the LOI and completed forms as mentioned in Point 3 have been received, the Secretariat will note the date the Application has been received and commence the process of review as per the Vetting Guidelines.
- Should there be any criteria that have not been met by the School, then the Secretariat will write to the school stating the reason and how this can be addressed.
- If the Applicant School is successful up to this stage, then a School visit by the Secretariat will be arranged. The visit will include an assessment of compliance with the Vetting Guidelines.
Membership Fees
Our schedule is attached below:
Benefits of Membership
- Advocacy & Lobbying
KAIS offers Member Schools a forum for discussion geared towards advocacy, lobbying and sharing best practice so as to create a conducive environment for the business of education. KAIS then submits the policy resolutions developed and lobbies for outcomes that support the growth of the sector.
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
KAIS provides opportunities for its members to participate in continuing professional development (CPD) hosted throughout the academic year for a range of professional cadres.These take the form of peer-to-peer teacher insets, health practitioners insets, HR practioners insets etc. Membership to KAIS also offers access to the KAIS Community Forum, which is a vibrant professional online community developed exclusively for KAIS Members.
- KAISSO Sports League
The Association runs a competitive sports league under the umbrella of the Kenya Association of International Schools Sports Association (KAISSO). The friendlies, leagues, tournaments and championships are held annually for various age groups. The games provide an opportunity to bring students from across Kenya together to promote the development of sports, teamwork skills as well as a greater understanding of and respect for peers from other cultures and countries. We also run a “Beyond KAISSO” program that explores further opportunities for students.
- Student Enrichment Services
Other student enrichment events offered to Member Schools include Arts and Drama Festivals and competitions, Debate Competitions, Model United Nations Conferences, as well as a range of other student-focused events around the various subject areas.
- Jobs Portal
To support its Member Schools in the area of recruitment, KAIS has provided a central location on its website for Member Schools to advertise teaching and other opportunities as they arise.
- Access to Information
Through its various communications vehicles, direct access to policy experts, membership with KEPSA and strong relationships with like minded partners across the globe, KAIS
members have access to a wealth of information on local and international legislation and business initiatives.
- Membership to the Child Protection Advocacy Network (CPAN)
The Child Protection Advocacy Network (CPAN) and associated Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) aims to create awareness, advocate for the rights for all children, support at-risk children
and share best practices for Child Protection through education in Kenya. CPAN is dedicated to establishing and maintaining a network of professionals focused on child protection, utilizing local expertise and community resources
Through CPAN, KAIS members share child protection current best practices, resources and most importantly collaborate and consult with a Multi Disciplinary (MDT) team compose Kenyan and Expats who are child protection specialists and volunteer their time for us.
- Collective Bargaining & Purchasing
Through KAIS, members have had opportunities to negotiate collectively and therefore get better rates for various services such as the security communication services and air travel rates. We are looking to expand this service to include sourcing of educational materials, hence shared shipping charges, clearing and forwarding charges, thereby saving time and money due to collective bargaining power.