Assalaamu alaikum wr wb,

Respected ICQ Chairman,

We hope this email finds you in good health.

The Islamic College of Brisbane, for more than 25 years, has provided the community with the much needed and valued environment of learning. With almost no other alternatives, the ICB has provided a place for the Islamic community in the south of Brisbane, a place of learning where education goes hand in hand with the values of the community. ICB is a much-loved institution which we would like to see prosper and continue to provide this much needed learning environment. However, recent developments at ICB and the actions of the governing body have concerned the parents of ICB few of which have been highlighted below.

ICB Board have issued a letter of suspension for Parent and Friends Association (P&F) until further notice. As P&F was the only platform where parents could regroup, discuss, and raise their issues and address them in collaboration with the school administration.

Parents have never been informed by the Board on how the ICB Board works, what it does, and who gets selected. The current Board setup is completely non-transparent and gives absolute power to themselves. Many parents do not agree that this is the right setup and would like to see more transparency and parent input into the school’s direction.

Parents disagree with the decision taken by the ICBL Board, without any consultation or valid reason, to remove the role position of Principal at the end of 2020 and commencing in 2021 appoint a CEO as the Head of the School. Parents expect that the Head of the School, be that a principal or a CEO has a minimum qualification of a Degree in Education with a preferred qualification of a Master of Education in the field of Administration, has had previous experience working in schools including classroom teaching and school/educational administration and is eligible for full registration with the Queensland College of Teachers.

Parents have serious concerns about the governance of the school and in particular way the ICBL Constitution provides for the following:

The process and criteria for selection and removal of Board members.

Behaviour and conduct which is shameful and opposite to what we are trying to instil in our children, e.g. Verbal and Physical assaults by Board members towards other Board members and Parents.

Absence of any accountability processes, procedures, and decisions of the Board to the school community.

Lack of transparency and disclosure of processes, procedures and decisions taken by the Board.

The Member of the Board also being the Directors and their ability to manage conflicts of interest appropriately.

Multiple failed attempts to gain clarity by parents via P&F monthly meetings from Board or school management regarding general concerns stated below:

Segregation of genders in high school.

Overall personality development of the students.

Increase in use of vulgar language, swearing and lack of respect towards teachers. 

Increase in bullying, aggressive, and violent behaviour from selected students.

Drastic decrease in schools’ communication and engagement with parents.               

Declining teaching standards in both primary and secondary.

Parents understand that, along with their concerns, more serious concerns have been raised with the Non State School Accreditation Board. The actions of a handful of individuals, who are not doing the right thing, may very well result in the very big loss for the parents and children of our community. We feel, to survive and steer ICB in the right direction, it is essential to change how this community organisation is currently being managed to be more inclusive and based on the input of the community.  

Several attempts have been made by P&F on behalf of parents to reinstate some sort of understanding and cooperation within P&F and ICB Board to help them by providing feedback and voluntary support to improve schools’ future but seems like ICB Board has no intentions to involve parents in any way or form by ignoring us altogether.

Lastly, in recent weeks as we understand P&F president and few parents have approached ICQ with the same concerns. It has come to our attention that subsequent to this topic being discussed at an ICQ meeting, the school has sent a legal letter threatening the President of P&F with a defamation claim and a threat to unenroll his children from ICB. This is yet another example of abuse of school resources. We feel that it is not acceptable that when a community member approaches community leaders with community concerns is targeted in such a way. As parents we will do our best to help our representative and make sure he walks away unscratched from this calamity. In Sha Allah.

Parents are extremely concerned that ICB is ion a downward spiral and they fear for its future and the future of our community’s children. A number of parents have been forced to move their children out of ICB due to the ongoing issues.

As concerned parents and as members of the community who you represent, we urge ICQ to intervene and help us to engage with ICB Board to secure a prosperous future for ICB and our kids in coming years and decades.

Jaza Kallah Khair

ICB Parents and Muslim community