East Preston Islamic College thrown into chaos as teachers refuse to turn up to class

A bitter dispute threatens to tear apart one of Australia’s largest Islamic secondary schools and sabotage the education of hundreds of students.

Simmering tensions at East Preston Islamic College in Melbourne’s northeast surfaced last Friday and Monday when protesting students and parents were denied access to school grounds and police were called to the scene twice.

The protest, sparked by the firing of the previous principal and deputy principal for unspecified offences, was particularly tense on Friday, but on Monday many students showed up expecting to attend classes but were locked out.

“There are students who are underage, who came on public transportation, or their parents dropped them off, and they’re just left here with no phone, no way to contact home,” an unnamed student told me. from year 11 The age.

“I just called my parents and said I have to go home, but this is unprofessional.”

The school’s teachers were only told five minutes into the school day that the students would be working from home by a text message from principal Sonya Hammoud.

Mid-morning, Ms. Hammoud sent word to the wider school community that not enough teachers had shown up to teach classes, which accommodate about 750 students between the prep and 12 years of age.

“I am writing to inform you that due to a large number of limited notice teacher absences this morning, particularly in the Secondary Department, we do not have enough teaching staff on board to ensure proper supervision of all students,” Ms. Hammoud. .

‘That is why we have made the difficult decision to allow senior students to work from home if they wish. We have arranged supervision in the common area for those who prefer to stay on campus.’

Ms Hammoud was appointed director only two weeks ago after previous director Neil Hasankolli and acting director Masiha Rayanwere stepped down for alleged but unspecified serious misconduct.

The move has deeply divided the school community.

Demonstrators of parents and students were heard outside the gate chanting for the removal of Ms. Hammoud and carrying placards demanding the resignation of the school board that appointed her.

One TikTok account even accused Ms Hammoud of making a racist statement towards a student.

The former board was ousted by a vote last year when the non-governmental school received a damning review from the industry regulator, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority.

The Authority released a rectification plan in November 2022 ‘which identifies a number of areas where the College needs to improve’.

The independent school, which houses around 750 pupils from prep to year 12, has been bitterly divided by changes introduced by a new board

A number of East Preston Islamic College staff, parents and students have called for the reinstatement of the previous principal and deputy principal

At the start of this school year, an ongoing power struggle between the new board and its predecessor led to staff salaries being withheld until the Independent Education Union threatened to take the matter to Fair Work Australia.

Staff dissatisfaction with the changes made by the new board led 100 of them to sign a petition asking for the reinstatement of the former directors.

School president Edin Dzelalagic and Ms Hammoud have promised to meet members of the school community in an effort to mend the acrimonious rift.

On Thursday, after normal classes resumed, the pair issued a joint statement to the school community, urging people to stay with the university.

They insisted that the school “continue to provide superior Islamic education in an environment where the safety and well-being of our students is paramount.”

The school is owned by the Islamic Coordinating Council of Victoria, an alliance of 11 Islamic community groups from across Melbourne.

The school has been contacted for comment.