Relocation of Chatswood IEC rattles Japanese community

Chatswood High School

Source: Chatswood High School

Chatswood IEC (Intensive English Centres)is the only IEC which offers settlement support in Japanese and has established a strong bond with the local council and its communities through its 40 year history. Broadcast on the 12th of March, 2019.


On the background of the major redevelopment of Chatswood High School in order to accomodate the growing population, under the current plan, Chatswood IEC will be relocated to Ku-Ring-Gai High School this year. 

The relocation means that the current students at Chatswood IEC will have to travel an extra 1-2 hours to attend school.  Some of the parents worry about losing the 40-year old ties the Chatswood IEC has built with the local communities. 

Arranging drop-offs and pick-ups would be another headache for the parents as getting to Ku-Ring-Gai High School is not as easy as Chatswood due to the lack of frequent public transport service.

Some concerned parents have started a signature rally to ask the NSW Department of Education to rethink the relocation and, if it has to be done, to relocate it to a place which has better public transport.

A spokesperson for the department said in a statement this morning that the department is currently looking at the future arrangements for Chatswood IEC and it is looking at "a range of options".

NSW will have its state election on the 23rd of this month.  After the election, the future of Chatswood IEC will attract the attention of the Japanese community especially in Chatswood.


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