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Education in Brunei Darussalam

References

http://www.moe.edu.bn/web/spn21

External links

• http://www.moe.edu.bn/web/spn21

Education in Brunei Darussalam is a pertinent sector to ensure the country's future success. The education administration is governed by the Ministry of Education which oversees the process of education from pre-school to higher education in the country. Prior to formal education which began a century ago, non-formal (religious) education began in the country almost 6 centuries ago. During that time, religious education was conducted in various venues such as mosques, houses and surau by Islamic Missionaries and local people.

Formal Education in Brunei Darussalam started with the establishment of a school in Brunei Town in 1914. This was then followed by the opening of the first Chinese School in 1916. The firth English-medium schools was set up in 1931, mainly for the children of oil company employees. The Malay, Chinese and English Schools offered only primary education, and they remained so until the early 1950s.

By 1934, there were only fifteen schools in the country with a total enrollment of 866 pupils. Education suffered a severe setback during the Japanese Occupation when many school buildings were destroyed. After the war, the schools were rapidly re-established. By 1947, enrollments had recovered to pre-war levels.

The first senior government official was specifically appointed in 1949 as the State Education Officer to administer education in Brunei. In 1951, the Department of Education was established, marking the beginning of a new era in educational development.

After the establishment of the Education Department, the first government English-medium schools was introduced in the state capital in 1952. This was followed by another one in Seria the following year. In 1954, the first Brunei Education Policy was included in part of the five-year development plan of Brunei Darussalam.

In 1956, the first Teacher's Training Institution was established. From then on, Education policies and development have been influenced by a number of important policy reports and commissions such as:

1. The Aminuddin Baki/Paul Chang Report 1959 2. The Education Policy Review Committee 1962 3. The Education Commission 1970 and The Education Commission Report, 1972 4. Policy changes after 1972 include - Bilingualism, Malay Islamic Monarchy, Islamisation of Knowledge

In 2009, the Ministry of Education introduced the National Education System for the 21st Century, also known as SPN21, which make provisions for several major educational changes.

SPN 21 aims to:

   * meet the social and economic challenges of the 21st Century
   * realise the Ministry of Education's vision and mission
   * equip students with 21st Century skills
   * fulfill the Strategic Themes as outlined in the Ministry of Education’s Strategic Plan (2007-2011)

Rationale for change:

   * Brunei Vision 2035

     By 2035, Brunei Darussalam is recognised everywhere for:
         o The accomplishment of its well-educated and highly skilled people
         o The quality of life
         o The dynamic and sustainable economy

   * 8 policy directions in the Education Strategy, Brunei Vision 2035
   * Fulfillment of the Ministry of Education's mission 'Provide Holistic Education To Achieve Fullest Potential For All'
   * Comparison with Education Systems and Curricula of various countries
   * Raising students' achievement in the 3 core subjects: English Language, Mathematics and Science
   * Increasing the percentage of students' enrollment into higher education from 14% to 30% by 2011
   * Strengthen proficiency in Bahasa Melayu
   * Local researchers and consultants from overseas have identified certain aspects of the National Education System that need to be improved