Dar Es Salaam - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
My kids have gone to IST elementary and secondary. I think the school is wonderfully holistic in its approach. Uses map testing and the pyp/myp program. Campuses are beautiful and open aired. Teachers are from everywhere and top notch. - Nov 2022
IST has been great. There are some other options. DSA and Latham and a French school. People seem happy with school - Jul 2022
IST, which has been good so far. - Jan 2022
Most go to IST. The IST lower school is off the peninsula, if your kids are in the lower grades, I'd request to live in Oyster Bay. - May 2020
There are two international schools (IST and DIA) and a French school. There seems to be an ongoing issue with getting visas renewed for the foreign teachers due to the current TZ administration, so I have no idea how that will play out and what the subsequent impact on quality will be. The only consistent complaint I have heard from parents here is that the elementary school bus comes ridiculously early (0600) due to traffic getting to the elementary school. The secondary and French schools are located near the housing areas and thus doesn't have the same issue. - Jun 2017
My children all attended IST Upper School. Most children attend International School of Tanganyika; two campuses- one for lower (KG-5) and one for upper (6-12). A few attend Dar International Academy, especially for the lower school since the commute is much shorter. The Embassy bus service picks up little ones quite early to get to IST Lower School- 6:30 or so; DIA is on the peninsula so the commute is smuch shorter. Upper School kids get picked up at 7:00am or after. IST upper school is a perfectly acceptable school. Of course, some people have more complaints than others academically. Socially, it is quite small, and I don't think most kids who go to the Upper School, especially grades 9-12, would say they loved it. Some hated it; some tolerated it; some liked it. Haven't really met any who "loved" it. See my school review in the school review section for more detailed info. - Jul 2015
Most kids go to IST or Dar International Academy. Some prefer DIA over IST. Do research and talk with parents with school-aged kids before making a decision. - Mar 2014
I've heard that the lower campus is good and that parents are happy with it. But the upper campus is terrible, other kids hate American kids, the education is horrible, and it makes no sense how they handle things. And the social issues with the teens isn't very good. 11th & 12th grades are especially rough. There is NOTHING for the teenage crowd to do but party with drugs. It is not a U.S.-based school like most we've dealt with elsewhere, and if you are not familiar with the British IB system it is not good to throw your kids into it towards the end of their school career. Most parents send their kids back to the States or to boarding school for their last two years. We did that as well. - Feb 2013
There is one international school, which most parents felt happy with. Our kids were younger and attended pre-schools and play groups. For families with younger kids, there are wonderful, organized, play-groups for kids. They are arranged by ages, and moms get together frequently, rotating homes and allowing kids to play. There are also lots of birthday and house parties on the weekends for families, which is nice and helps to make the weekends less boring. - Feb 2013
There is a small French school on the peninsula. HOPAC is a Christian school that is a short distance away (but can take forever to get to in traffic). And IST is the international school. It is divided into two campuses, with preschool-5th grade at one the older kids at another. Teaching is generally good these days, with only the math program being weak. A lack of sporting facilities is the big drawback. - Jun 2010
