Fanta Barrie loves her school, tucked away in a suburban street in Weston and surrounded by bush and kangaroos. Every year, she builds her faith and her general knowledge.
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The 13-year-old likes that all the girls at the Islamic School of Canberra wear hijab and that everyone prays together. "This school is a wonderful place," she says.
But with the school's federal funding halted indefinitely, pending an appeal from the school board, parents have expressed fears to teachers about bullying in non-Islamic schools should the institution close. Year 1 teacher Peta James says: "They're really worried and they don't know what to do."
The federal Education Department repeatedly raised concerns about the Islamic School after investigating its finances, independence and governance. The sticking point was the school's ties to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. The federation offers the school its building rent-free and provided more than $2 million last year to carry it through funding uncertainty.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham formally revoked the schools its funding in April after first notifying the school of a review in 2012. "The decision was not taken lightly and followed a long process spanning many years, after which the department was left with no alternative," a departmental spokeswoman says.
Parents were told last month the school board would, for the third time, appeal the government's decision to revoke financial support. The school has a new board and principal, and the federation said earlier this year it had stepped back entirely from the school's operations.
Its principal, David Johns, says the school is confident in its processes but needs to draw on advice given to students – "it's important to talk with people, not about people" – and communicate its position more effectively.
"I think what's basically been happening is the Department of Education and Training has asked us to do something, has cut us loose to respond to it, we've responded incorrectly because we've interpreted it incorrectly," he says.
"So there's a requirement for us now to go back to DET and say: 'Look, what does the answer look like to you that's going to be the correct answer, so we can word it or present it in the correct way.' "
The school applied for an internal review last month. In the meantime, the school has appealed for support from some embassies and launched a crowdfunding page to ensure its short-term viability.
One diplomat has suggested they might leave Canberra if they can't provide their children with an Islamic education, Johns says. And some embassies have met the school to discuss the ramifications of living in a city without an Islamic school.
Gordon man Imad Al Samadi believes strongly in the Islamic School's community role in raising a generation of young Muslims. He sends his daughter to the school and left an embassy job to work as its Arabic teacher. He is unsure what will happen if the school closes. The ACT's second Islamic school, Taqwa in Spence, only teaches kingergarten to year 4, though it has applied to extend to year 6.
"I found the Islamic School is the best school for my daughter to grow up within the Islamic environment because our religion is not like practices of some worship and full stop, but rather is a way of life," Al Samadi says. "That Islamic way doesn't go against any of Australian values or principles or any virtues, it actually goes in line with many cultures and many things, particularly when they are positive."
The Islamic School teaches the Australian curriculum in the context of the Islamic faith. Students also receive lessons in Islamic studies, the Koran and Arabic, and are given time to pray. The coeducational school, teaching kindergarten to year 7, changes its opening hours during Ramadan to ensure students can observe the holy month.
Teachers are attuned to cultural sensitivities, too, Johns says, a requirement not guaranteed in the public or Catholic systems.
"At the end of the day it's all about choice," he says. "If it wasn't about choice, we wouldn't have people kicking and screaming about what's happening in the funding models with Catholic education at the moment.
"There is not one kid that I teach at this school that is anti-Australian society or anti-Australian culture, and not one parent for that matter. They want their kids to understand how to integrate effectively within Australian society and they also want them to have the added resilience of being a faith-driven people. I don't have a problem with that."
Year 7 student Alaa Al-Mokallalati is unsure where she'll go next year. She loves her school, too, but she's unafraid of new experiences, whatever they may be.
Alaa may attend a local high school next year to complete her secondary years, though her parents would prefer she stays at the Islamic School. The mature 13-year-old is not too worried about bullying.
"[At the Islamic School] no one can tease you and say 'you're wearing this, you're wearing that', because we're all wearing the exact same thing," Alaa says.
"If someone doesn't want to be my friend I can't force them. Even if they don't accept me for who I am, they're obviously not worthy of me or anyone else who they don't accept."
