Lusaka - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
Our three kids have hit every single grade at the American school over our three years here, from the ELC 1 (preschool) up through 5th grade. We've had great experiences and subpar experiences, usually depending on the teacher that particular year. Leadership was fabulous the first year we were here, and we felt very supported. The leadership changed two years ago, and things went downhill to some extent. I think the overall curriculum at the American school is fine. Not great, but fine. We like the focus on social-emotional learning as well as all the project-based learning. The kids have done a lot of cool projects, especially in grades three and up: business fairs, overnight trips, extended personal projects, etc. We LOVE the specials teachers, who are universally phenomenal: the art teacher and librarian are really special people. AISL is also the only real library in the city. Academically, in my opinion, the school is behind American public schools. Universally, I hear that kids who move from AISL and go to American public schools are at least six months behind, even bright kids. In my opinion, the math curriculum is a joke. I'm shocked by the first and second graders who are still struggling to read. My oldest was starting multiplication in second grade in America; my current second grader is doing subtraction problems like "82-5." Her spelling words last year in first grade were "responsibility" and "exceptional." This year, she brought home a spelling test, and the words included "hope" and "gate." In other words, it's really inconsistent. Other parents I talk to in this grade are similarly confused, and across the board, most parents are supplementing at home. It's a big ask of parents who are also working. We were disappointed in the preschool/pre-k program, and I wish I'd listened to my instinct that first year and moved our youngest to the Montessori school, Casa de Bambinii (which goes up through 2nd grade). While the Early Learning Center (ELC) at AISL has very nice facilities, and I liked all the resources: the big library, the swimming classes integrated into the curriculum, access to the art and music classrooms, etc., I just felt like the kids didn't actually learn anything academic while having ridiculous expectations for personal self-care (zero tolerance for bathroom accidents, even for newly three year olds, which caused HUGE stress and just slowed things down in that regard). When my youngest got to kindergarten after two years in the ELC, he could barely recognize a couple of letters and sort of count to five. My girls were already reading simple stories by that age, coming from other schools. I thought maybe it was just a quirk of being the youngest kid in the family, but the kindergarten teacher confided in me that every kid coming from the ELC was "like starting from scratch." We had to do a lot of catch-up work at home to get him up to speed. Lo and behold, he was fully capable, but had never had the opportunity to gain those skills. But sure, he finger painted a lot. There are other options: the British school, the French school, the Montessori school (for younger kids), LICS. Everyone older than grade 2 goes to AISL, as far as I'm aware. While the school has been fine for us, it has been a challenge in ways I didn't expect. I am glad we're moving on as we approach middle school and onwards. - Feb 2026
AISL is the school everyone goes to, it’s phenomenal and has the only library in Lusaka. Casa dei Bambini is an excellent preschool-2nd grade option. - Apr 2025
There are several international schools, I believe - American, Italian, French, International, probably some I'm not aware of. The American School is beautiful, lots of outside space for the kids. We've been generally pleased with the culture and quality of the American School. - Mar 2022
There are a number of international schools in Lusaka. We don't have school-age kids but my husband works at AISL and has been very happy with it. They have good facilities and lots of extracurriculars. - Feb 2018
AISL is the school that most of the embassy kids attend, and it seems to have more at the secondary level. Other embassies sometimes send their kids to ISL (International School Lusaka). My kids have acclimated well, 10 year old and 16 year old (older one is in IB Diploma).
I will say that the IB teachers at the 11th and 12th grade level seem to be really knowledgeable and competent. At the elementary and middle school level, it seems more difficult for the school to meet the needs of the more advanced kids. My younger son was only a little above average in Falls Church City, Virginia but here, he is the youngest the school sometimes seems about a semester behind the U.S.. We haven't been the only parents to experience this. The school has promised they have certain programs for advanced kids, then when they arrive, the school has nothing ready. It's been an ongoing process of staying on top of the school and the teachers. I give my son some extra work outside of school to keep him from getting behind. - Nov 2017
AISL is where nearly all American kids attend. ISL is decent, but much better for elementary school children (the secondary school is not as well-managed). LICS is very small. Baobab and Banani have decent reputations, but are pretty far out of town, on the southern and northern outskirts of Lusaka, respectively. There are tiny Swedish, Italian, French, and Chinese schools, too, but they tend to cater to mostly language study. - Jan 2017
AISL is the most popular. There is also ISL and LICS. My kids attend AISL, and the jury is still out on the level of learning that goes on. That school eems more geared to playing and building friendships. - Jun 2016
There are several international schools in town, but most embassy families send their children to the American International School of Lusaka. The school has a close-knit community and nice facilities. I have worked there as a substitute teacher as well as at the International School of Lusaka as a middle and high school teacher. While ISL has a great primary school, I wouldn't recommend it for secondary students as there is high turnover among the upper-level teachers. It is just difficult to predict what the quality of teaching will be like from year to year. - May 2016
There are a few schools - for ease my children are at AISL. The elementary schools is using the IB program and many American parents complain that their children aren't learning enough. I always wonder what those same parents would say if their children were strictly being taught to pass tests and not much critical thinking or creativity encouraged. That said, I wish the math curriculum was more rigorous and incorporated more rote learning. - Aug 2014
American International School of Lusaka...I've heard good and bad things. About the same things we hear about other schools in the world. I know they upset a number of embassy families by getting rid of their two/three-year old preschool program without consulting parents; they just made a decision and that was it. - Jan 2014
AIS, where my 3 kids are, is not at all American, in fact it is anti-American.there are no tests, no standards, no sense of transparency in anything the school does. Very sports-oriented and indifferent to academics. Poor preparation for older students; many teachers woefully unqualified.if you question anything or anyone there, you immediately are blacklisted by the school, and they become more uncooperative than ever. - Mar 2009
The American International School of Lusaka is a decent school for children in elementary school. Above that, you will really find a problem with the curriculum and lack of challenges for children and teens. People not accredited to teach IB are filling the teaching spots. The IB program is quite weak at AIS as well. All in all, this is not a school to bring older children. There is also another international school, ISL. - Mar 2009
International School of Lusaka has come a long way in the past two years. The American School is also popular. LICS offers the British National Curriculum and Baobab is distinctly South African/Zimbabwean. - Oct 2008
Most Americans (in the NGO and the embassy community) send their kids to the American International School of Lusaka (AISL) from kindergarten on. However, many embassy Americans send their kids to preschool and pre-K at the International School of Lusaka (ISL) because ISL's fees are significantly lower than AISL and the Embassy doesn't pay for education before kindergarten. ISL tends to be very popular with Indian families that have been resident in Lusaka for years -- while it's true that many of the brightest kids at ISL obtain spots in very competitive US and other international universities, I think most American parents would find AISL's facilities, staff, and resources better than ISL's. LICS has a devoted following because of its community-oriented approach to early education -- unfortunately, it is not conveniently located for most of the American expat community. - May 2008
