Al-Faisal College


Al-Faisal College is currently the largest Islamic school in Australia with 2800 students. It is also a dual-campus independent Islamic co-educational primary and secondary day school, with campuses in Auburn and Campbelltown, both suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Operated by Al-Faisal College Ltd, the College was established in 1998 at the Auburn campus, later expanded to the Campbelltown campus in 2013 and Liverpool campus in 2015.

History and campuses

The Auburn campus opened on 27 April 1998 with 200 students from Kindergarten to Year 2. In 2007 the first cohort of Year 12 students, completing the Higher School Certificate graduated from the college. Between 2008 and 2018 the school more than tripled in size, from approximately 860 students in 2008 to 2800 students in 2018.
Al-Faisal College took over Iqra Grammar College at Minto, Campbelltown in 2013 with 440 students and 28 teaching staff bring the total number of enrolments to 1,660.
In July 2013, Al-Faisal College bought a property in Minto where it planned to open a campus for 600-1,500 students by 28 April 2014
In August 2013 the college's deputy principal for Years 7 to 12, Peter Rompies, said that school will likely not be able to cater for the 200 to 300 students on the "huge waiting lists" for Kindergarten 2014 applications.
Al-Faisal College Liverpool opened its doors in Term 2 on the 27th April 2015 with two classrooms operating out of demountable classrooms. In 2016 the school received a $750,000 grant from the state government to improve the facilities.

Curriculum

Al-Faisal College teaches according to the NSW Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards mandated syllabuses. Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 study Arabic as a Language Other Than English and study the Quran and complete Islamic studies.
Students completing the Higher School Certificate at the college study Arabic and Islamic Studies, along with the compulsory subject English, and other subjects of their choosing.
The College also offers a number of sporting and extra curricular activities including with other schools and local organisations.

Funding

The Muslim World League, founded by Saudi Crown Prince Faisal, is closely linked to Sheikh Shafiq Khan, the Managing Director of the al-Faisal College. The MWL provided funding to assist in the establishment of the College. While it has been reported that Khan's power rests on his close relationship with the Saudi Government and its Islamic Affairs Ministry, which uses the kingdom's wealth to promote its conservative Wahhabi view of Islam, in response Khan has said the Saudi funding of the school does not mean Saudis have control or influence on the College's curriculum.
In 2003, Shafiq Khan was involved in a court case where he was accused of diverting more than $1 million derived from halal certification to charities including the Al-Faisal College. Khan negotiated a settlement and agreed to return the money.