Primary School

Balgish Mydeen is originally from Singapore. She attained a Bachelor of English in Singapore and Master of Education from Queensland University of Technology. She has 17 years of teaching experience in Singapore during which she had taken up coordinator roles. This is her eleventh year continuing the profession in Australia. It is her passion to help developing young minds.

Balgish loves reading, engaging in Arts and Craft and games. She also loves trying out dishes from various cultures and appreciating them is another avenue she enjoys. She believes in lifelong learning, be it academic or character building.

“I get my inspirations from leaders around the world. This is something I instill in my students – positive mind set and the belief that we can do it! May ALLAH, The Almighty, guide us the way to the right path.”

 Gillian Kotian was born into an Anglo-Indian family in the city of Chennai in Southern India. She has completed a Diploma in Teaching for Primary Year levels in 2003, a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at the University of Madras, India in 2008 and graduated from Tabor in South Australia with a Master of Teaching (Primary) in 2021. 

Gillian’s work experience spans across four countries; India, England, Saudi Arabia and Australia. She has worked in diverse educational settings gaining knowledge and experience from multi-cultural and linguistic backgrounds. 

Gillian believes that all children are unique and learn and grow at their own pace. It is her aspiration to facilitate the children’s learning process with rich experiences that will prepare them to be well informed global citizens. Gillian understands students’ learning styles and differences and sets challenging yet achievable goals and helps them attain those goals to the best of their potential. With an instruction style that is student-centred with hands-on learning, individual and group learning and engaging in meaningful learning moments, she seeks to foster a warm and caring atmosphere in the learning space that exhibits respect for each other and the wider community. 

“I find it deeply rewarding to contribute and be a part of the educational development of students. I believe learning never stops and I always look forward to learn from the children and my peers from the IQRA family.”

 Safia Banjan was born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria. She moved to Adelaide in 1991. After raising a family and working for several years as a welfare worker she went back to study education at Flinders University. She graduated with the Bachelor of Education in 2005 and began her career in the public sector. After a short time, she moved to the private sector and has been working as a primary school teacher for the last sixteen years. Her primary experience ranges from Reception through to Year 6. When not at school Safia enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and being creative through different artistic mediums.

 “As a teacher I strive to connect with my students to identify their strengths and help them reach their goals and aspirations. I believe in education for empowerment. Regardless of the many challenges we may face in life, education can be the key to a better future. My goal is to give every student I teach the opportunity to reach their full potential and in doing so, live their best lives.”

 Saira Sabir joined IQRA College initially as a member of the admin team in 2018. In 2019, she was given the opportunity to join the teaching and learning team as an education support officer, working alongside teachers across junior primary and upper primary. 

Saira has a Certificate III in Education Support from Australia, Certificate of Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Canada, Certificate in Educational Assessment Practices, Principles and Policies from Indiana University USA, Master of Business Administration and M.Phil. in General Management from Pakistan. She is currently enrolled in Master of Teaching program at Charles Darwin University. 

“Over the period of 16 years of experience in education sector across three countries Australia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, I have enjoyed working in multicultural environments and have successfully utilized my learning and experience for the betterment of students and the institutions I have worked for.”

Arunima Pillai was born and raised in India. She started her teaching career in 2006. She holds a Master of Physics and Bachelor of Education and started teaching in Australia since 2011. 

Arunima has been teaching Junior and Primary school students both in the public and private schools in Australia. She joined IQRA in 2020 and worked well with the Junior and Primary school team. Besides teaching, Arunima also holds the Numeracy Coordinator position.

“Teaching is not a career but a passion to me. It takes a certain desire and drive to get up every single day and inspire the young minds but the challenge in doing that and finding what engages them into learning is the reason teaching is still a trust I choose to do today.”

Fazla Waheed is a passionate, dedicated, and caring EAL/D and inclusive education advocate and teacher in IQRA College. She started her education journey in 2005 and joined IQRA College in 2021. She is particularly passionate about improving literacy and differentiated instruction to ensure equity in education for all students. After working in many different schools and the Maldives National University teaching various courses, she migrated to Australia in 2016. 

Fazla’s qualifications include Master of Teaching (R-7- Special Education), Master of Education (Educational Research and Assessment), Bachelor of Arts (English Language and Psychology), and Diploma of Teaching Middle Years (English as a Second Language and Mathematics). 

Her role as the NCCD Coordinator at IQRA college ensures that all students with additional needs have access to quality curriculum and education. With her dedication and hard work, she aims to strengthen inclusivity and accessibility for students with various learning needs in the future.