First Australian school in Sept.

The announcement was made yesterday at a gala dinner hosted under the patronage of Noel Campbell, Australian Ambassador to the UAE, to celebrate the formal public announcement of the opening of the school.

“I am pleased that the first school in the UAE to use the Australian curriculum is opening in Sharjah in September,” said the ambassador. “The establishment of the Australian International School is an exciting development and one which underlies the growing education links between Australia and the UAE.”

The Australian International School (AIS) in Sharjah has been created as a result of the agreement between the Australian State of Queensland and the Al Sharif Group in November 2004. Under the endorsement of the UAE minister of education and the Queensland premier, the agreement gives AIS the authority to deliver Australian curriculum.

One of the conditions of this agreement is a yearly quality review by high-ranking personnel of the Queensland Government Education Department.

“Parents of the Australian International School can be confident about the educational quality of the programmes being delivered at the school. The Queensland minister of education must be satisfied that all school programmes, management processes, and staff meet the stringent control of the Department’s standards, and this yearly review will give that assurance,” said Helen Lucas, Principal of Australian International School.

With its innovative design, and world class facilities, AIS will be well equipped to deliver a student centred, activity based learning environment to over 1,800 multi-cultural students in the UAE. It will have indoor and outdoor activity areas, swimming pool, library, and specialist rooms for science, art and music.

Explaining the difference of Australian education, Lucas said: “The difference lies in the ability of our system to develop lifelong learners. Our schools focus on the holistic development of children. It is not just about passing exams and passive memorisation based learning. It is about students constructing their own knowledge in flexible student centred environments.”

“We are honoured to say that the Australian education system is recognised by Unesco as one of the finest in the world. The core curriculum for all grades from KG to 6 is based of an eight key learning areas, common across Australia — Language other than English (Lote), European-Asian Mathematics, Science, Studies of Society & Environment, Technology, Art, and Health & Physical Education,” she said, adding: “Arabic language and Islamic studies for Muslims are two special syllabuses offered at the school.”

“All the teachers were recruited from Australia and are preparing to arrive in August. Teaching staff were chosen on the basis of their teaching experience and their commitment to become part of a multi-cultural international school. AIS will be initially open to youngsters from grades KG to 6 but will eventually cater to senior secondary year levels. It will not only specifically cater to the Australian community living in the UAE but is also aiming to serve parents and students from all nationalities for quality education,” Lucas concluded.