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Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
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Kelem International School (KIS) began in 1949 as the Swedish School and has more than 72 years of experience as a community school under the Swedish Embassy. The Swedish Community School (SCS) was established in 1946 to serve Swedish citizens living in Ethiopia, with students from other countries later joining. When the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided embassies worldwide would no longer run schools, parents established the Former Swedish Community School Parents Charitable Organization (FSCSPCO), which was registered on 15 March 2019, and the embassy handed over responsibility to FSCSPCO from July 2019. FSCSPCO later renamed the school Kelem International School (KIS), Addis Ababa to reflect the community's diversity. In Amharic, Kelem means Color/Paint and denotes wisdom and knowledge. The school emphasizes an inclusive, caring environment where staff, parents, and students work together to develop future citizens and leaders, living the vision of facilitating the realization of every child's full potential.
The school's community is diversified and vibrant, with active involvement from staff, parents, and students across school life. Kelem International School partners with EduCluster Finland to implement the Finnish curriculum, supported by online training for teachers delivered in collaboration with Finnish education experts. In 2023, KIS hosted a two-week professional development training on the Finnish system with emphasis on inclusive education, enabled by FinCEED and the Finnish Embassy in Addis Ababa. The school employs a range of digital platforms and resources—Kerboodle, Star Maths, OPIQ, Twinkl, Google Classroom, IXL, Librarika, White Rose, Literacy Tree, and GrandstandE's School Management Software—to support teaching and learning.
Kelem International School has a Parents, Teachers and Students Association (PTSA) that facilitates parents working with the school to achieve the best possible education for their children alongside teachers and students. The PTSA supports the school's goals and mission and helps build a social network among parents and teachers to foster community and provide a forum for student engagement and leadership development. The 2024/25 Parent Teacher Student Union (PTSU) includes Gianluca Pagani as President; Ayda Eshetu as Vice President; Meron Kassahun as Vice President; Nuamin Elias as Secretary; Bethel Saryee as Secretary; Haymanot Abebe as Treasurer/Finance; Hella Yirga as Treasurer/Finance; and a team of Teaching & Learning Volunteers, staff development hosts, and student representatives (e.g., Odile Roudant as Board Representative and Amran Ermias as Student Representative).
Kelem International School is a not-for-profit international school in Addis Ababa serving students aged 2 to 14. The curriculum blends the Finnish system with the International Early Years Curriculum for early years and a bespoke program through Grade 9. In the early years, IEYC informs play-based learning alongside Finnish ECEC. From Grades 1–4, core subjects are taught by class teachers, while specialist subjects include Amharic and French, PE, Music, Visual Arts and Craft. From Grades 5–9, biology, chemistry and physics are studied with a STEM focus, and ICT and GIS are integrated into social studies. The school emphasizes inquiry-based learning, student ownership, and cross-disciplinary study across science, social studies, maths, arts, and languages. Facilities include a library managed with Librarika and a suite of digital tools (Kerboodle, OTAVA Star Maths, OPIQ, Twinkl, Google Classroom, IXL, White Rose). Programs include after-school clubs, a student council, and Summer/Winter Camps, with meals included.
