Malaysian school hosts Aussie visitors
DELEGATION from the Geelong Grammar School (GGS), Australia, recently visited the IGB International School (IGBIS) in Sierramas and Valencia.
Stephen Meek, principal of GGS, and Anthony Bretherton, director of community relations of GGS, paid a visit to IGBIS during their recent trip to Kuala Lumpur.
The visit included a tour of IGBIS’ newly built campus and its extensive facilities by Anne Fowles, IGBIS’ head of school.
A top-ranked Australian boarding school with a student population of 1,500 in four campuses, GGS’ humble beginning dates back to 1855 with only 14 students in the Australian state of Victoria.
Since then the school has grown into the prestigious education institution it is today.
In its 159 illustrious years, GGS boasts a long list of distinguished and prominent alumni, including members of royalty, poets and captains of industry.
Calling themselves the Old Geelong Grammarians, notable members include Prince Charles of Wales, Sultan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and actress Portia De Rossi.
Fowles, who is also the current chairperson of the International Baccalaureate Heads Council, said that the visit by both Meek and Bretherton is significant as it is a nostalgic reunion for some at IGB International School.
“We have alumni among our IGBIS founders and directors within the IGB Group so you could say IGBIS has ‘Geelong Grammar Genes’ in its foundations.”
She hopes that in the near future IGBIS and GSS could cooperate and mutually benefit in many areas.
Some of the GGS’ alumni at IGBIS include Lister Hannah, chairman of IGBIS, who was a former student and principal of GGS from 1995 to 1999; Mohamed Tawfik Ismail, a member of the board of directors at IGBIS; and Tan Boon Lee and Tan Boon Seng, both directors of IGB Corporation Berhad, the parent company of IGBIS.
IGBIS offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme for Grades 11 and 12.
It is one of 18 schools in Malaysia to have been bestowed IB World School status. IGBIS also plans to implement cutting-edge primary years and middle years curricula soon.
IB World Schools provide an active and holistic education path from early years all the way to pre-university and this experience open doors and horizons to students beyond the four walls of the school.
With more than 3,806 IB World Schools across the world, the IB curriculum is one of the most comprehensive curricula available.
It provides empowerment and nurtures the academic and mental well-being of students.
Already generating a great deal of excitement among many parents and prospective students, IGBIS is located within an impressive campus at Sierramas and Valencia.
IGBIS is scheduled to open this August for its first intake of students.
As a premier IB World School, IGBIS will bring the very best of the IB curriculum to Malaysia with a band of dedicated and well-experienced educators from across the globe.
The school also boasts impressive state-of-the-art facilities, which guarantee an excellent academic experience for students from ages three to 18.
For more information, visit www.igbis.edu.my