Australian International Academy of Education
Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (09:55): I am delighted to rise and report to the house that I was so honoured and privileged to visit the Australian International Academy – AIA – King Khalid college in Coburg last week to celebrate their 40th anniversary. The school began from very humble beginnings in 1983 and has gone on to be a beacon of Islamic community education in the northern suburbs. The school started out with just around 150 students 40 years ago and has grown now to consist of 2000 students across multiple campuses: two campuses in Coburg – one on Bakers Road and one on Sydney Road; campuses in Caroline Springs, with the member for Kororoit representing that area; as well as campuses in western Sydney and internationally, in Abu Dhabi. The school, over those 40 years, has educated 10,000 students, many of whom have gone on to make significant contributions to our community, including one of the recent alumni, Mo Elrafihi, who has gone on to become the CEO of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria.
The school educates students from all around the northern suburbs, including in the member for Greenvale’s electorate, the member for Broadmeadows’ electorate and many other parts of the area. The Islamic community across Australia represents about 3 per cent of our population – 4 per cent across Victoria – but in Merri-bek in the municipality that I am so proud to represent it makes up 10 per cent of our local population. That is 16,000 residents, and at the heart of that community is the Australian International Academy, which I am so proud to stand up for and through which we announced, with the Premier, $30 million for an Islamic schools infrastructure fund.