Malek Fahd Islamic School (abbreviated as MFIS) is a multi-campus independent Islamic co-educational primary and secondary day school, with its main campus located in the south-western Sydney suburb of Greenacre with smaller campuses in Hoxton Park and Beaumont Hills, New South Wales, Australia.
After Al-Faisal College, Malek Fahd Islamic School is the second largest Islamic school in Australia, that caters for 2,444 students from Kindergarten to Year 12 across three campuses. All MFIS students (and 80% of the staff) are Muslim.
History
Malek (King) Fahd Islamic School was opened in October 1989 with one campus in Greenacre. The purchase of the land for the school was secured through a $12 million gift from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. The school started with 87 students from kindergarten to year 3 but has grown to over 2,000 students in 2013.
In 2007 the school made its debut when it came 9th in the state's HSC ranking.
In April 2011 the school established two campuses in Hoxton Park and Beaumont Hills, both catering for students in early primary school.
In June 2013 the School Board, chaired by Tom Alegounarias, appointed the school's first Christian headmaster, Ray Barrett.
By 2016 the school's state ranking for the HSC had dropped to 76th.
Campuses
The school's main campus in Greenacre includes 1070 students in the primary school (Kindergarten to Year 6) and 990 students in the secondary school (Years 7 to 12). Students in the main campus originate mainly from the local Bankstown area, Lakemba, Auburn and Guildford.
The Hoxton Park campus opened in April 2011 for 78 students in Kindergarten and Years 1 and 2 as well as 4 staff. In 2013 the campus has 87 students enrolled from Kindergarten to Year 4. The campus has a modern two-story building which caters for students from Hoxton Park, Liverpool, Lurnea, Hinchinbrook and Prestons.
The school also operates a campus in Beaumont Hills, opened in April 2011, for children in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2. The campus initially started with 31 students but has increased in size with over 200 students in 2012 from Kindergarten to Year 6. In 2014 the school expanded to include Year 7. The campus draws students from Beaumont Hills, Kellyville, Castle Hill, The Ponds, Blacktown, Seven Hills, Rooty Hill and Mount Druitt.
Curriculum
Malek Fahd Islamic School teaches according to the NSW Board of Studies mandated syllabuses. However all students are required to study the Religious Education syllabus throughout their schooling. The school also teaches Arabic throughout schooling. Arabic is also offered as a subject for students completing the Higher School Certificate in Year 11 and 12. In 2013 NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli expressed grave concern at the school's HSC curriculum.
The school also offers a number of sporting and extra curricular activities including with other schools and local organisations.
Controversies
In 2008, Malek Fahd Islamic School was criticised for not allowing under performing students to sit the Higher School Certificate (HSC), resulting in unfairly high HSC results reported for the school. The school denied distorting exam results. After it came to light that poorer performing students from the school were compelled to enrol in TAFE so that their marks would not "drag down" the school's overall performance, Intaj Ali withdrew his students from TAFE and claimed that it had actually been part of the school's extra-curricular activities that the students enrolled at TAFE. But a former HSC co-ordinator at Bankstown TAFE registered that the parents of students were dismayed by having to pay fees to both the school and then more fees at TAFE. Intaj Ali also claimed that the school had increased the range of HSC subjects it offered. However, the subject offerings at the school remained limited and continued to disadvantage students who would excel in the social, rather than natural, sciences.
In spite of denials by the school the case of Afyouni in 2011 demonstrated that the school was still manipulating its ranking by outsourcing the poorer performing students to TAFE even after it had been exposed for the first time in 2008.
In 2010, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils received $5.2 million from Malek Fahd Islamic School which is approximately one third of the money received from the federal and state governments. In 2012 the NSW government demanded the repayment of $9 million passed from Malek Fahd Islamic School to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.