Program

​Professional and student group visits

• ​​Japanese students from Shimonoseki Junior High School learned English at Durack for a week, mixing with our students and staying with some of Durack's families.
• Year 6 classes enjoyed meeting students from China
• "We were privileged to host seven international teachers from Korea who visited many of our classrooms to view how we teach English here in Australia. We received fantastic feedback from them and they all noted how friendly and enthusiastic they found our students to be." 
  
• "This school is like one great big friendly family. I wish I could be reborn and go to this school." Dawoon Jeong
• Graduate Students from Hong Kong were amazed that in Australian schools that teachers have their own classroom to personalise for their students learning and also at the ability we have to differentiate for students across year levels.
  

Testimonials

Mai-Khoi, EQI Student (Vietnam)

I joined the Durack school community in July of 2016 (second semester of Grade 2) and I think that it's safe to say that the first few weeks of the journey were the most frustrating part, as I'm sure any student would be when thrown into a new environment and compelled to adapt to a new language and system. After that, every school day was very enjoyable.

I am extremely grateful for the EAL/D program and teachers, especially Mrs Lee, who was in charge of the Vietnamese assist program for the duration that I was at Durack. I loved the multiculturalism and all the opportunities that the school gave us to learn about others' cultures and traditions. The books available in Vietnamese in our library, the Multicultural Week activities, and the different ethnicities of all the students around me, were things that made me feel comfortable and confident with settling in a new country. Apart from that, the extra-curricular activities like the Robotics Club, was where I found my passion and what I should invest towards further on in my education. I was extraordinarily fortunate to serve as one of the School Captains and then awarded with DUX.  All the support of my teachers and friends, whom I will miss dearly, has helped me significantly through my first years of living in Australia. Continuing my journey, I am proud to be attending the Technology Integrated Curriculum Excellence Program at Mansfield State High School, one of the best state high schools in Queensland. The kind people that I've met throughout my primary school years have taught me so much and I'm still thankful for them at this stage in high school.

Hien, EQI Parent (Vietnam)

My name is Hien, I came to Australia as an international student in 2016, hence I chose to stay in Durack suburb to be in the Vietnamese community and my children could go to one of the state's accredited international schools here. It turned out to be the best choice. I have two daughters who studied at Durack State School: Mai-Khoi, from year 2, and Mai-Khanh, from year 1. My wife and I were worried about our children's adaptation into the completely new environment, given that they had never studied anywhere outside Vietnam and their English was very limited. In fact, Mai-Khoi had been studying English for only 6 months before we left Vietnam, and 3 months for Mai-Khanh. I was reassured to see them being helped with the specialised English support for international students. Getting out of the program after a relatively short period of time, they quickly adapted to the new environment and since then, thrived, as I can proudly say. The school management and administrative team provided us with massive help to settle in during the first couple months, in which all of our enquiries were thoroughly addressed with care. We were even offered a private school tour to show the environment our children would be studying in.

Both of my daughters participated in a wide range of activities including music, sports, debating, and robotics. They enjoyed school, loved their teachers and friends very much, so that every school holiday seemed to be too long as they could not wait to get back to school. I was very proud to see Mai-Khoi decided to participate in a high quality leadership training program, conducted by the school Deputy Principal, and even more thrilled to see her selected as one of the two school captains for 2020. Mai-Khoi proudly served as a school captain throughout the year in which she had learned many essential skills which will undoubtedly serve her well later in life. Mai-Khoi was awarded with the DUX award, which is entitled for the graduating student with the best academic performance. As parents, my wife and I could not be any more proud as Mai-Khanh decided to follow her sister's footsteps, joined the leadership program and was also elected as one of the two school captains for 2021. She has been serving with great pride, coming to school every day wearing the Durack State School uniform and her school captain badge. I could not possibly think there would be any better experience for us in Australia when it comes to our children's education.

Jenny, EQI student (Vietnam)

"The first time I came to Durack, I was in Year 3. I felt excited and happy to be here. The Year 3 class was very friendly to me. The teacher was very nice and the students in Year 3 were kind and helpful. My favourite subject is sports and music. I like playing soccer in Physical Education class.  My English is getting better thanks to my teachers in Years 3 and 4. Mrs Lee See also helps me learn English. I really enjoyed Indian day for Multicultural Week.

"I got to taste the yummy Indian food and really liked the roti that Mrs K and Mrs Ali made for one of the Indian activities. I love coming to the library at lunch time and borrowing the Vietnamese books and the English books as well. Durack has a great selection of Vietnamese books for me to borrow. This is my second year at Durack and I am making a lot more friends at this school and I am getting to know the new international students that come here. I am helping Mr Sharma with a new Vietnamese international student that has just arrived in Term 2. I am helping her get to know the school and how it works."

​Saleh  (Saudi Arabia)