Islamic College of Brisbane explained

-27.6187°N 153.0921°WThe Islamic College of Brisbane (ICB) is an independent, Islamic, co-educational, P-12, school, located in the Brisbane suburb of Karawatha, in Queensland, Australia.[1] [2] [3] It is administered by Independent Schools Queensland, with an enrolment of 1,595 students and a teaching staff of 109, as of 2023. The school serves students from Prep to Year 12, and was the first Muslim school to be opened in Queensland.[4]

History

The school was established on 5 January 1995,[5] and opened on 30 January with the lowest tuition fees of any private school in Queensland at the time. Mohammed Ally was the schools founding principal.

2015 saw the dismissal of college principal Dr. Mubarak Noor: it was suspected that he was let go after he and the school board "disputed a $288,420 withdrawal from the school's bank account" by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils due to the council not seeking the approval of the school board or chairman prior to authorising the transaction.[6] Even though the principal was let go, "the withdrawal was reversed six weeks later, following Noor's objections."

In 2017, a pig's head was dumped right outside the school with a label of a swastika, and the then acting chair of the school, blamed right-winged politics for stirring up hatred toward the Islamic community.[7] [8]

After the Queensland Government announced the Anti-Discrimination Bill 2024, the school voiced objections, due to the fact that the bill could "stifle religious freedom and inflame "culture wars" within faith-based schools."[9]

Controversies

In 2015, a long-running dispute between the College and the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, which owns the land, has resulted in members of the school board and principal being dismissed or resigning. The college has been asked to show-cause that it, "complies with registration and accreditation requirements".[10]

In May 2015, it was reported that Queensland Police were investigating a claim made by a former principal[11] that moneys have been removed from school accounts and school loans had been falsified, with possibly up to $1 million involved. A senior officer of the AFIC has been implicated.[12]

In February 2016, it was reported that a federal government audit uncovered that millions of dollars had been improperly passed from school to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.[13]

These controversies eventually led to the Australian Government putting the school on notice for breaching the Education Act; if the school did not comply "with financial management and governance requirements" they would cease funding.[14]

Notable alumni

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Islamic College of Brisbane (Karawatha) Department of Education . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240712081715/https://schoolsdirectory.eq.edu.au/Details/0091 . 2024-07-12 . 2024-07-12 . Schools Directory.
  2. Web site: Islamic College of Brisbane, Karawatha QLD Private Schools Guide . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240712082031/https://privateschoolsguide.com/islamic-college-of-brisbane-karawatha-qld . 2024-07-12 . 2024-07-12 . privateschoolsguide.com . en-gb.
  3. Web site: ACARA Data Access Program - School Profile 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240501085934/https://dataandreporting.blob.core.windows.net/anrdataportal/Data-Access-Program/School%20Profile%202023.xlsx . 2024-05-01 . 2024-07-12 . Australian Curriculum Assessment And Reporting Authority.
  4. Web site: Batchelor . Daud . 2020-10-25 . Islamic College of Brisbane: a quarter century of sustained growth . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220523001207/https://www.amust.com.au/2020/10/islamic-college-of-brisbane-a-quarter-century-of-sustained-growth/ . 2022-05-23 . 2024-07-12 . The Australian Musilm Times . en-AU.
  5. Web site: 2019-04-14 . Opening and closing dates of Queensland schools . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231111173753/https://education.qld.gov.au/about/history/Documents/historical-summary-prior-1999.xlsx . 2023-11-11 . 2024-07-12 . Queensland Department of Education . en.
  6. Web site: Ray . Chris . 2015-10-22 . The controversies raging inside our Islamic schools . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224062632/https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-controversies-raging-inside-our-islamic-schools-20151012-gk790z.html . 2024-02-24 . 2024-07-12 . The Sydney Morning Herald . en.
  7. News: Withey . Andree . 2017-07-19 . Pig's head dumped outside Brisbane Islamic school . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240526112700/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-19/pigs-head-islamic-college-brisbane-swastika/8723544 . 2024-05-26 . 2024-07-12 . ABC News . en-AU.
  8. Web site: Atfield . Cameron . 2017-07-19 . Pig's head left outside school for Muslim children in Brisbane's south . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20240409230724/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/pigs-head-left-outside-school-for-muslim-children-in-brisbanes-south-20170719-gxe5gb.html . 2024-04-09 . 2024-07-12 . The Brisbane Times . en.
  9. News: Sato . Kenji . Austin . Steve . 2024-05-07 . Islamic College of Brisbane and Queensland Churches Together oppose Anti-Discrimination Bill 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240710212142/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-08/christians-and-muslims-object-to-anti-discrimination-bill/103813556 . 2024-07-10 . 2024-07-12 . ABC News . en-AU.
  10. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/islamic-college-of-brisbane-investigated-over-phantom-debt-secret-payments/story-fnihsrf2-1227283681092 Islamic College of Brisbane investigated over ‘phantom debt’, secret payments
  11. News: Islamic school principal rails against ‘unfair’ sacking over financial audit . Doorley, Neil. 9 May 2015. The Courier-Mail. 22 May 2015.
  12. News: Police probe Islamic College of Brisbane over alleged fraud . Shanahan, Leo. 22 May 2015. The Australian. 22 May 2015.
  13. News: Islamic College of Brisbane ‘misused taxpayer funds’ . Shanahan, Leo. 11 February 2016. The Australian. 24 February 2016.
  14. News: Hurst . Daniel . 2015-11-13 . Government accuses six Islamic schools of breaching Education Act . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230511194931/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/nov/13/government-accuses-six-islamic-schools-breaching-education-act . 2023-05-11 . 2024-07-12 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.

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