Famous American rapper Kanye West has confirmed that his ambitions extend beyond the world of music, as he recently opened his very own private school called Donda Academy, named after his late mother Prof. Donda West.
According to Rolling Stone, Kanye’s tuition-based Christian prep school is headquartered in Simi Valley in California, with the academy's mission being described as preparing students “to become the next generation of leaders” through “an ethic of integrity and care.”
The magazine points out, however, that the school does not appear to be particularly forthcoming with sharing information about its academics, and that it has been rather tricky to determine who exactly works at and attends the school.
Furthermore, two sources told the magazine that the students’ families are required to sign non-disclosure agreements, although a consultant to the academy described the said NDAs as “informal” agreements and claimed that only parents sign them.
Students' daily schedule, according to the description on the academy’s website, includes “full school worship; core classes of language arts, math and science; lunch and recess; enrichment courses including World Language, Visual Art, Film, Choir and Parkour.”
While the school already accepts students, it is reportedly yet to be accredited, and the academy was looking to hire instructors even after the school year started in the United States.
Also, the school’s principal and executive director, Brianne Campbell, has apparently never held a formal position as an educator, and she is only expected to complete her master’s degree program in education at Pepperdine University by next August, the magazine adds.
Producer and Kanye’s collaborator Malik Yusef reportedly explained that the apparent lack of transparency regarding the school’s inner workings is for a reason, saying that “the process of Donda school is for the parishioners, for the attendees.”
“I don’t think Kanye needs to tell the world what he’s doing, so that he can be under more scrutiny,” he said, adding that people bring their kids to the academy for “a sense of privacy.” “A sense of care, a sense of concern, a sense of love, an environment of health, and an environment of wealth, an environment of learning, and putting God as a focus.”