Al-Taqwa College
The Islamic Schools of Victoria, or otherwise known as Al-Taqwa College, is a primary and secondary school located on Sayers Road, in Truganina, Victoria, outside Melbourne, Australia. The college is also known as Werribee College.[2]
| Al-Taqwa College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
201 Sayers Road , VIC , 3029 | |
| Coordinates | 37°51′14″S 144°43′19″E |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent primary and secondary school |
| Motto | Seek Knowledge |
| Denomination | Sunni Islam |
| Established | June 1986 |
| Founder | Omar Hallak |
| Principal | Omar Hallak |
| Staff | 200 |
| Years offered | Prep - Year 12 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Number of students | 2,000[1] |
| Campus size | 50 acres |
| Houses | Omar Ali Othman Abu Bakar |
| Colour(s) | Blue, red, white |
| Slogan | Quality Education For Quality Life |
| Newspaper | Al-Hidayah |
| Tuition | $2,485 - $3,885 |
| Website | http://www.al-taqwa.vic.edu.au |
The College was built on a 50-acre property on the western side of Melbourne. The College was established by the Islamic Trust fund in 1986. The name was changed to Al-Taqwa College in 2010. Next to the main campus on Sayers Road, a mosque (masjid) was built.[3] Al-Taqwa College is a member of Independent Schools Victoria which is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to Independent education.[4]
When the school was first established, classes ranged from Prep. to Year 10. As the school grew it expanded and added on VCE (Years 11 and 12). The school has another campus called the Olive Branch, which runs occasional classes in Agriculture and Horticulture. The school has a branch in Indonesia, named the Al-Taqwa College, International Islamic School of Indonesia.
In 2015, the number of students at Al-Taqwa College is close to 2,000 with numbers expected to reach 2,500 students in 2018. Subjects taught at the college include English, Maths, Languages other than English (L.O.T.E.), Information Technology, Business, Art and Physical Education.
Students at Al-Taqwa College come from various backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures. The school's foundation is strongly based upon ethos of equality, equity and cohesive unity. Families of students have migrated from the following countries:
Controversy
In 2005 there were a number of issues of concern raised involving the school, including a visiting imam's public antisemitic comments.[5]
In 2015, the school principal Omar Hallak was reported to have told students that the terrorist group ISIS was part of a Western plot.[6] The principal's comments were condemned as "reckless and dangerous if true" by James Merlino, Victoria's Education Minister.[7][8][9]
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Al-Taqwa College was the biggest case cluster in Australia, with 164 cases.[10]
References
- "al-Taqwa: About Us History". Al-Taqwa. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- "Education provider details". State of Victoria (Department of Education and Training). Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- "Al-Taqwa Masjid Activities". Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- "Al-Taqwa College: Valuable Lessons" (PDF). Independent Schools Victoria. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- Skelton, Russell (31 July 2005). "Muslims sound alarm over schools". The Age. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- Cook, Henrietta (1 April 2014). "Christopher Pyne asks Al-Taqwa principal to explain himself after Islamic State comments". Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- Szego, Julie (26 March 2015). "The dangers of feeding lies to Muslim children". The Age. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- Meehan, Melissa; Livingston, Angus (23 April 2015). "Islamic principal says reports untrue". The Mercury. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- "Girls at Islamic Al-Taqwa College banned from running over virginity fears, teacher claims". ABC News. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- "Victorian coronavirus death toll climbs to 35 as 217 new cases recorded". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 July 2020.