AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF EDUCATION

Formerly known as the King Khalid Islamic College, the academy is a fully independent private school catering to the needs of Melbourne’s Islamic community. The college is a registered Victorian school and is a non-profit-making educational institution. The college is divided into two campuses: primary and secondary. The Islamic College was opened in 1983 as a primary school with an enrolment of 62 students in a 1920s school building in Coburg, north of Melbourne. In 1991, the first secondary classes commenced and the college’s first students to study for the VCE commenced classes in 1994. The college is one of the few schools in Australia to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) as an alternative to the VCE. The IB program commenced in 1995 and the college now has the three IB programs running: the Primary Years program, the Middle Years program and the Diploma program.

Curriculum: The college’s curriculum emphasises the Islamic code of ethics and moral values. Students are educated to be proud of their Islamic heritage and to contribute to the building of Australia. Emphasis is also placed on the concept of equal opportunity within an Islamic atmosphere of tolerance and respect for other beliefs. The college curriculum, especially Language and Mathematics, is designed as an integrated sequence from Prep to Year 10. The college offers scholarships to a number of students each year, to provide assistance with up to 100 per cent tuition fees. Scholarships are awarded based on the results of special-purpose exams, which are held at the college following internal and external advertising. A range of scholarships is available for primary and secondary students, including those awarded for academic excellence, science and technology, literary writing and special needs.