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1.0 Introduction Brunei Darussalam is an independent Islamic Sultanate located in the northern part of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is an oil rich country with a land area of 5,765 square kilometers that shares its borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, is located in a district known as Brunei-Muara, one of the four districts that make up Brunei Darussalam (the other districts are Tutong, Belait and Temburong). According to the 2001 population census, Brunei Darussalam has a population of about 332,844, comprising 66.7% Malays, 11.1% Chinese, and 22.2% other races. Brunei Darussalam only regained full independence in 1984, its history has often been incorporated into the histories of Malaysia and Singapore as a marginal British colony in South East Asia. The result is that Brunei is often mentioned to the more significant developments elsewhere in the region. However, Brunei has made significant achievements of its own since 1984 but is presently experiencing difficulty in developing the non-oil and gas sector of the economy. For some years, the government has embarked on an ambitious economic diversification programme in an attempt to render the country less dependent on oil and gas revenues and foreign labour. However, despite the priority placed on TVE, many graduates do not actively seek work in commercial or industrial enterprises, which the government finds

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tvet in brunei

Transcript of tvet in brunei.doc

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1.0 Introduction

Brunei Darussalam is an independent Islamic Sultanate located in the northern part of

Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is an oil rich country with a land area of 5,765 square kilometers

that shares its borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The capital, Bandar Seri

Begawan, is located in a district known as Brunei-Muara, one of the four districts that make

up Brunei Darussalam (the other districts are Tutong, Belait and Temburong). According to

the 2001 population census, Brunei Darussalam has a population of about 332,844,

comprising 66.7% Malays, 11.1% Chinese, and 22.2% other races.

Brunei Darussalam only regained full independence in 1984, its history has often been

incorporated into the histories of Malaysia and Singapore as a marginal British colony in

South East Asia. The result is that Brunei is often mentioned to the more significant

developments elsewhere in the region. However, Brunei has made significant achievements

of its own since 1984 but is presently experiencing difficulty in developing the non-oil and

gas sector of the economy. For some years, the government has embarked on an ambitious

economic diversification programme in an attempt to render the country less dependent on oil

and gas revenues and foreign labour.

However, despite the priority placed on TVE, many graduates do not actively seek

work in commercial or industrial enterprises, which the government finds troublesome. Out

of a total of 4838 graduates since 1985, only 1372 are presently working in private and public

sector jobs for which they have been trained. Three hundred and forty four students continue

their studies abroad while the remaining 3122 are not working at all. Each year, Brunei

produces on average a total of 400 graduates in various technical-vocational fields, but only

35% have permanent jobs. Currently there are about 88 359 people employed in the private

sector but only 19 642 (22%) are Brunei citizens. As one official put it, “without the active

participation of locally trained citizens, the nation will not be able to realize its vision to

become a service, trade and tourism hub in the region”.

The recent Asian financial crisis has only added to the Brunei government’s

problems. The pace of diversification has slowed due to substantial cuts in public spending.

The Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) which controls most of the state’s assets is thought to

have lost almost 40% of its value during 1998. Many of BIA’s investments were locked into

longterm securities in the region. Since Brunei is a net importer of almost all goods, including

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40% of machinery and transport equipment, 28% of manufactured items, and 13% of food, its

inflation performance is influenced significantly by import prices. The Brunei dollar, which is

pegged to the Singapore dollar, fell by 9.7% from June to November 1997 (Economist,

1997). Investor confidence has not fully returned to South East Asian markets at the time of

writing.

Despite the different meanings the term development carries, in a wealthy country

like Brunei, development is officially treated as synonymous with economic growth on the

one hand, and national unity on the other. As an Islamic state, great care is taken to ensure

that economic priorities do not outweigh religious/moral considerations. Brunei’s

development trajectory since statehood in 1984 is that of a petro or rentier state dominated by

the oil and gas sector and a huge public sector. The result has been uneven development and

limited state capacity to diversify the economic base.

2.0 Economics Issues and Interaction with TVE in Brunei

Examining the nature of the rentier economy may enhance an understanding of the

ambiguous status of TVE in Brunei. The rentier state concept, or the notion that states based

upon external sources of income are substantially different from states based on domestic

taxation, was first proposed with reference to Middle East countries such as Iran and Libya

although the concept itself can be found in early Marxist and neo-classical economic theory.

With reference to Brunei, it was claims that as recipients of substantial foreign rents,

the economy is extroverted in the sense that the key industry export of oil and gas effectively

dominates and retards potential production in other sectors of the local economy. In fact, the

historically poor performance of the small manufacturing and industrial sectors in Brunei

suggests that these sectors have contributed little to the GNP since independence in 1984

(Economist, 1997). In rentier states generally, the government (or public sector) becomes the

major employer in the economy. Potentially productive sectors, such as agriculture, tourism

and heavy manufacturing, are left relatively undeveloped and often remain untouched beyond

that worked by foreign interests. In addition, rentier states tend to foster an inverted pyramid

of social classes. A middle class not engaged in directly productive sectors emerges which

some analysts maintain has the effect of widening income and social inequalities in the

society as a whole. Further explanation is provided by Gunn (1993) who writes, “in rentier

economies there is no nexus between production and income distribution since revenues

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accrue directly to the government not through any production process but from oil taxes

which come from outside the country”.

Thus rentier states differ structurally from other states in the advanced industrialized

and developing countries, particularly agricultural or manufacturing exporters, whose

products are not depletable or necessarily state-owned or strategically important, as capital

intensive, or as foreign, dominated as petroleum. Petro states also differ, albeit to a lesser

extent, from tin, copper, and other mineral exporters, which share many of these properties

but differ with regard to the magnitude and duration of their extraordinary rents. The

disjunction, so to speak, between TVE and the rentier economy may be related in part to the

way in which the rentier economy influences public policy and bureaucratic decision-making.

Karl (1997) suggests that the steady influx of petro dollars hinders the search for

independence from oil rents and contributes to a rentier mentality.

Hence the covariance of weak states with oil rents which tend to transform social and

political structures in such a way that formidable barriers to change are created. These

barriers lock countries into the initial choice of a rentier development path. They effectively

distort the public sector by expanding jurisdiction and undermining authority precisely when

the challenges facing the state require it to be the most cohesive. When the international price

of oil and gas declines, as it has recently, petro states are particularly vulnerable due to the

inexperience of the bureaucracy in planning, organizing and implementing policies in other

sectors. Also, when oil revenues fall, sometimes the state’s extraction costs rise dramatically

because the authorities find it difficult to exploit new revenue sources with the efficacy

required to offset lost revenues.

Therefore, the Brunei government’s quest to redirect the economy away from

dependence on oil and gas revenues by enhancing the stock of human capital will likely

remain unachievable until such time as the private sector begins to develop. In addition, the

emphasis on human capital formation in public policy tends to be overshadowed by the

powerful and constraining influence of Brunei cultural values and religion on economic

activity directly opposite to the experience of Singapore where Confucianist values, a strong

state and the need for ethnic harmony have combined to produce steady economic growth and

national prosperity.

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3.0 Education Policy

The earliest draft on education policy was introduced in the First National

Development Plan (1954-1959). It laid down the basic foundation for the infrastructure of

Brunei’s education system. An important provision was six years of free education in Malay

schools for Brunei children aged 6-14 years.

In 1959, the Brunei government commissioned two education consultants Aminuddin

Baki and Paul Chang, to conduct a systematic and comprehensive review on the development

and progress of education in Brunei. It resulted in a series of recommendations for change in

the education system. In 1970, an education commission was set up with the mandate to

evaluate the 1962 Aminuddin Baki and Paul Chang Report, and formulate policies and plans

to raise education standards in Brunei. The commission came up with the 1972 Education

Commission Report which was approved as a document. The report became the focal point

for future system-wide education reforms. Among its provisions was the extension of free

education from six years to nine years in all Brunei schools: six years of primary education,

followed by another three years of lower secondary education. Ten years later, in 1982, a

review committee was appointed to evaluate the education provisions in the 1972 Education

Commission Report.

Brunei achieved full independence in January 1984. The historic event provided the

impetus for the acceleration of reforms and development in all aspects of education. In an

effort to streamline the Malay medium and English medium schooling systems, and to ensure

that learners attain a high level of proficiency in both Malay and English, the Bilingual

Education Policy was formulated in 1984 and implemented in 1985. With its implementation,

all government schools followed a single system with a common national curriculum from

pre-school until pre-university. The policy was later extended to private schools (except

International Schools) in 1992.

In 1993, the 9-Year Education Policy was replaced with the 12-Year Education

Policy. Every student was provided with 12 years of education: seven years in pre-school and

primary, three years in lower secondary, and two years in upper secondary or

vocational/technical education. In 2003, the new Education Order was inaugurated. It aimed

to achieve a status of an effective, efficient and equitable system of education that was both

consonant with the national philosophy of Malay Islamic Monarchy or Melayu Islam Beraja

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(MIB), as well as the needs of a modern, technological and ICT era. In 2007, the Compulsory

Education Order 2007 was enacted. The order mandated that every Brunei child residing in

this country “above the age of six years who has not yet attained the age of 15 years” receives

compulsory education for at least nine years.

In 1997, the Inclusive Education Policy was implemented. It makes provision for

pupils with special educational needs to attend mainstream schools. These pupils are assisted

and guided by Special Education Needs Assistants (SENA), previously known as Learning

Assistant Teachers (LAT) who worked in close partnership with their class teachers.

Education in Brunei has come a long way since 1912, with the onset of formal education. The

success of educational policy changes through those years was seen in Brunei’s progressive

improvements in its literacy rates.

3.1 Structure of Education System

The first school in Brunei was a Malay medium primary school, which was

established in 1912. This was followed by the building of similar schools in other parts of the

country. In 1916, the first Chinese vernacular school was established followed by the

establishment of the first non-government English medium primary school in 1931 in Seria.

By the time the Second World War broke out in 1941, there were 32 primary schools,

comprising a mixture of Malay, Chinese and English vernacular types.

Before the War, only primary education was available in Brunei. There were no

secondary schools. With the establishment of the Education Department by the government

in 1951, the first government preparatory school that taught in both Malay as well as English

medium was set up in 1952. English medium preparatory pupils, who graduated in 1953,

were able to proceed to secondary education with the establishment of the first English

medium secondary school the same year. Secondary education in the Malay medium was not

available in the country then. It was only in 1966 that Malay medium secondary education

became available in Brunei, with the establishment of the first Malay secondary school or

Sekolah Menengah Melayu Pertama (SMMP).

The First National Development Plan (1954-1959) laid the foundation for the basic

structure of the education system in Brunei. The education pattern was 6-3-2. It represented

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six years of primary education, three years of lower secondary and two years of upper

secondary. The 1972 Education Commission Report provided the basis for initiating further

changes and development of the structure. With the adoption of the report in 1979, pre-school

became compulsory for all children at the age of five years before they could enrol in Primary

1.

When the Bilingual Education Policy was implemented in 1985, a more

comprehensive education pattern of 7-3-2-2 evolved. Education provision was made for

seven years at primary level (including pre-school); three years at lower secondary; two years

at upper secondary; and two years at pre-university, post-secondary training, or

vocational/technical education. Several higher educational institutions were established to

provide for post-secondary and tertiary education.

They are University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) in 1985, Institute of Technology

Brunei (ITB) in 1986, technical and engineering Colleges, vocational schools, and Pengiran

Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah College of Nursing in 1986. To meet the ever

increasing demand for vocational/technical and higher education, new institutions were

established, for example Wasan Vocational School in 2005, and University of Sultan Sharif

Ali Islamic (UNISSA) in 2007. The establishment of a polytechnic is also in the pipeline.

To ensure that pupils progressed smoothly through the different levels in the

mainstream schooling, and to lower attrition rate, criteria for pupil retention were set up. In

the early 1960s, retention of pupils was based on performance in school and public

examinations. Those who failed could repeat only once at each level, for all levels of

schooling. However, a more restricted new ruling on retention was later introduced in 1969,

whereby pupils were allowed to repeat only once at specific levels: Primary 4 and 6 (Malay

stream), English Preparatory 3 (English stream), Secondary 3 and 5, and Upper 6. In 1976,

the criteria were extended to include school attendance, whereby pupils with less than 85%

attendance were not allowed to sit for public examinations.

In an effort to encourage pupils to stay longer in the schooling system, at least up to

upper secondary (to reduce attrition rate), the Ministry of Education introduced the Extended

Secondary Programme or Program Menengah Lanjutan in 1989. In this programme, lower

secondary students who obtained Grades 1 and 2 in their Brunei Junior Certificate of

Education (BJCE) examination could proceed to upper secondary and sit for the Brunei

Cambridge GCE ‘O’ Level (BC GCE `O’) examination after two years. However, those who

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obtained Grade 3 in the BJCE examination were given an extra year (three years) to prepare

for the same public examination.

For the latter group of students, the education pattern was modified to 7-3-3-2.

Unfortunately, the intentions of the Extended Secondary Programme were not fully realised,

nor was the programme well received. It was later phased out and replaced with the Brunei

Cambridge GCE `N’ Level (BC GCE `N’) programme in 1996. With the institutionalisation

of the BC GCE `N’, the education pattern was further differentiated into 7-3-2-1-2: seven

years of preschool and primary, three years of lower secondary, two years of upper secondary

BC GCE ‘N’, and another one year of upper secondary leading to BC GCE ‘O’. However,

after eight years of implementation, and upon evaluation, the ‘N’ level too was found

unsuitable for Brunei’s context, and was withdrawn in 2005.

At the lower secondary level, an early intervention programme that enabled students

to proceed directly through the vocational/technical route, instead of the mainstream

schooling, was implemented in 2005. The Lower Secondary Level ll programme catered to a

minority group of students who were expected to benefit from early vocational/technical

training. These “practically-oriented” students were channelled to the 2-year programme

known as Program Menengah Vocational (PMV). It consists of six months in the preliminary

Stage 1, and 18 months in Stage 2, and led to either the National Vocational Certificate

(NVC) or the National Technical Certificate 3 (NTC3).

When formal schools were first established, pupils tended to leave the schooling system early

to look for jobs.

During that period, the highest level of schooling was only primary, for example

Primary 5 in 1938 and Primary 6 in the 1950s. However, the situation improved in the 1960s

and 1970s, whereby most of the school leavers completed their Form 3 examination (either

Lower Certificate of Examination or Brunei Junior Certificate of Education). In the 1980s

and 1990s, many school leavers completed their upper secondary education. The fact that

pupils were staying longer in the schooling system was largely attributed to the ministry’s

persistent effort to improve and develop its education system so that pupils were encouraged

to stay longer in the schooling system, and parents became more aware of the importance of

education.

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4.0 The Department of Technical Education

The Departmen of Technical Education (DTE) which was established in January 1993

under the Ministry of Education (MOE) is the major provider of technical and vocational

education and adult continuing education programmes in Brunei Darussalam.

The provision of adult and continuing education has been existence in Brunei since

1958 when the Language & Literacy Bureau initiated classes with the objective to eradicate

illiteracy amongst adult. In the 1960’s, the Adult Education Classes operated under the

Department of Education and in 1993, were finally transferred to come under the DTE.

Whilst the primary objective remains the same, over the years the emphasis has shifted

greatly towards the improvement of general education, the acquisition of technical and

vocational knowledge and skills in order to have provision of enrichment programmes as part

of the lifelong learning for the general public in Brunei Darussalam.

4.1 Provision, Participation and Achievement

The Department of Technical Education, Ministry of Education is the major provider

of adult learning and education in Brunei Darussalam. The Continuing Education Section

under DTE have its own motto which is “it is never too late to learn” , coordinates all the

ALE in the country for the MOE. The section plays a vital role in upgrading the knowledge,

skills, attitude/values and standard of living of the people in the country through the provision

and implementation of non-formal educational opportunities and programs oriented to society

needs.

In addition to its main function, the Continuing Education Section also provides

assistance in various community programs that are conducted by the special institutions

namely the Pulaie Pusat Bahagia for Children and Adults, Pusat Bahagia Eric Goh, and

Taman Noorhidayah.

This section has been successful in assisting a large number of students and members of the

public to achieve higher academic and vocational qualifications in area such as Lower

Secondary Examinations, GCE O and A Levels, Quran Reading, foreign language such as

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Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin, French and Korean, songkok making, dressesmaking,

embroidery, hand weaving, flower making and arrangement and cookery.

Overall, there are 41 learning centres nationwide which are located mainly at the

selected government primary and secondary schools as well as at the Continuing Education

building, with 38 part time appointed supervisors and 172 teachers to administer and handle

the continuing education classes. The programmes/courses conducted and the nominal fees

incurred are as shown in Figure 1 below.

In addition to these programmes/courses, some short courses such as Basic Food

Hygiene and Nutrition, Job Getting Skills, Pre Departure Cooking Classes, Basic Telephone

Techniques and Basic Housekeeping are conducted by the Continuing Education Section of

the Department of Technical Education. Figure 2.

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Figure 1 : Continuing Education ; Academic and Skills classes and fees

Figure 2 : Short Courses Conducted by the Continuing Education Section

5.0 TVE in Brunei Darussalam

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The link between human resource development and economic diversification in

Brunei was first highlighted in the Sixth National Development Plan 1991–1995. High

priority was placed on the need to refine and expand TVE in tandem with the skill/training

requirements of the industrial and commercial sectors that were still in a relatively

undeveloped state. During this period, the Department of Technical and Vocational

Education was formed within the Ministry of Education. Nowadays, TVE comprises two

types of institutions vocational schools, and technical colleges.

Vocational schools are intended to train young adults for employment, including

apprenticeship training. They offer a comprehensive range of programmes in a modularized

format in such areas as Building and Construction, Electrical and Electronics, Business and

Secretarial. Successful completion of these programmes leads to the nationally recognized

Trade Certificates. The technical colleges offer a wider variety of career, technical and

vocational programmes for students entering directly from the formal schools or older adults

requiring upgrading and re-training. In addition, many government ministries operate their

own “in-house” training and education programmes.

The earliest technical-vocational school was established in 1970 as an engineering

craft trade school. Since then, most of the expansion in TVE has taken place in the 1980s. By

1995, the two types of institutions had a combined enrollment of approximately 2500

students. Plans to build two more technical colleges in 1999 have been put on hold due to the

recent economic downturn.

In addition, Brunei is home to the South East Asian Ministries of Education

Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education

(VOCTECH Regional Centre) established in 1990. The purpose of the VOCTECH Regional

Centre is to coordinate, plan and implement training, exchanges, research and information

sharing within South East Asia. The expansion of TVE reflects the Brunei government’s

ongoing commitment to a system of integrated national training facilities with strong links to

industry, commerce and particularly to the Shell Oil Company. A special feature of the oil

industry in Brunei is the privatized character of ownership and operational control of the oil

industry.

Since 1913 the Shell Group of companies has dominated the search and extraction of

Brunei’s oil and gas reserves. Thus to a certain extent, it would not be unreasonable to state

that the training and employment needs of Shell have influenced but certainly not dominated

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TVE practice and policy in Brunei. In 1991, the Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational

Education Council was formed. As an accreditation, monitoring and standard-setting agency,

the Council has performed a much-needed coordinating and administrative function. The

MOE through the Council attempts to coordinate and link education and training standards to

the present and future needs of industry.

To this end, the MOE has relied primarily on a competency based approach to

instruction the intent of which is to maintain a flexible approach to meeting the changing

needs of clients and employers. From their inception, the technical colleges and vocational

schools have proven reasonably adept at delivering a wide range of subjects and programmes

to students on both a full-time and part time basis. However, enrolments remain persistently

low while the number of teaching staff remains high (approximately 500) reflecting a

student/teacher of about 5:1. Presumably, the underutilization of TVE cannot be rectified

until more Bruneians are willing to undertake training, or, until the government makes greater

progress in diversifying the economy.

5.1 Technical and Vocational Schools and Centre

Brunei has many education and training institutions that offer a wide range of full-

time programmes at certificate level) for the technically inclined. In 2003, 1,063 students

registered for Higher National Diploma and certificate courses while 3,878 registered for the

National Diploma courses.The number of teaching staff at the various Vocational and

Technical institutions for 2004 is 830, out of whom 342 or 41% are female. Expatriate

teachers constitute 19% of the total TVE teaching staff.

The following shows the centres offering TVE courses :

Nakhoda Ragam Vocational School

› Trade level programmes offered include Bricklaying and Concreting,

Carpentry and Joinery, Electrical, Electronics, Furniture and Cabinet Making,

Painting and Decorating, Plumbing, Pipefitting, Dressmaking and Tailoring.

The Mechanical Training Centre

› Programmes offered are operation, maintenance and repair of heavy

construction equipment.

Sultanah Bolkiah Vocational School

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› Programmes offered are Clerical Studies (Account Clerk, Computer Clerk,

and General Office Clerk), Dressmaking and Tailoring, Machining, Motor

Vehicle Mechanic, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning, Vehicle Body

Engineering, Welding and Fabrication.

Sultan Saiful Rijal Technical College

› The National Diploma courses offered include Aircraft Engineering,

Automotive Engineering, Business & Finance, Computer Studies,

Construction, Electronic & Communication Engineering, Electrical and

Electronic Engineering, Property Management, Secretarial Studies,

Geomatics, Hotel & Catering Management, Travel & Tourism Services and

Library Management. The college also offers Pre-National Diploma courses

and Trade Level Programmes.

› In 1996, there was a joint apprenticeship program between Royal Brunei

Catering Sdn Bhd and the college, which resulted in over 41 graduates. 

› In 1999, another apprenticeship training program in professional Cookery and

Service produced an additional seven graduates.

The Jefri Bolkiah College of Engineering

› Courses offered are Pre-National Diploma and National Diploma programmes

in fields such as Automotive Engineering, Computer Studies and Electrical &

Electronic Engineering. 

› Other National Diploma courses include Marine Engineering, Manufacturing

Engineering, Plant Engineering, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning, Building

Services Engineering, Welding & Fabrication Engineering and

Instrumentation and Control Engineering.

Institut Teknologi Brunei

› Higher National Diploma courses offered include Business & Finance,

Computer Studies and Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

› Since relocating its campus adjacent to Universiti Brunei Darussalam in 1998,

the institute has introduced new courses and expanded existing HND courses

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to included Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Communication and Computer

Systems Engineering, and Electrical Power and Building Services

Engineering. 

› A Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering under a twinning arrangement with

the Queens University of Belfast (QUB) is another course of study offered by

the Civil Engineering Department.

Brunei Arts and Handicraft Training Centre

› Managed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, this centre offers

courses in silver and brass smithing, woodcarving, cloth weaving, basketry,

songkok-making and engraving. 

› Currently, 90 students are studying at the centre including 43 in weaving, 17

in silver smithing, 10 in engraving, two in brass-smithing and 18 in songkok-

making.

6.0 Future Stratergies for TVE in Brunei

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Brunei Darussalam is planning to strengthen its technical and vocational education

system by increasing the number of institutions providing training, expanding the range of

courses on offer and establishing exchange programmes with neighbouring countries.

Over the past decade, the base of Brunei Darussalams economy has become more

diversified, with less dependence on energy production, both as a result of the states long-

term policy of developing downstream industries in the hydrocarbons sector and via the

reinforcing of non-oil-and-gas.

Schemes such as the Brunei Methanol Company's $450 million production facility at

Sungai Liang industrial park which commenced production last year along with other projects

still in the pipeline, require trained personnel at all levels of their development, from the

initial planning process through construction to the final operational stage.

As Brunei Darussalam's economy expands, new and existing industries exploring new

technologies are increasingly in need of more skilled personnel. While demand for skilled

workers is growing, some observers say that vocational aspects of the education system are

not keeping up.

On January 28 2012, Ibrahim Hj Abdul Rahman, Brunei Darussalams acting director

of schools, announced that the Ministry of Education (MoE) was considering ways of

ensuring more students can obtain technical or vocational training to improve their chances of

gaining employment. With a limit on the number of students the existing seven technical and

vocational institutions can accept, the ministry was looking at establishing new training

colleges, according to Ibrahim.

He announced the plan at a regional education conference as part of a presentation on

Brunei Darussalams long-term plan for the development of the school system, the National

Education System for the 21st Century (SPN21).

According to Ibrahim, one of the focuses of SPN21 will be bolstering the vocational

and technical education system so that it better meets the needs of both students and the

national economy. Students at the secondary school level who may not be suited to university

will be encouraged to undertake technical or vocational studies, he said.

In the past, technical and vocational subjects were seen as second choice as opposed

to academic subjects, but not anymore, said Ibrahim.

The MoE is already working to increase the infrastructure for its professional training

programmes, with construction beginning in late 2010 on a new $23million extension to the

Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB). When completed in 2012, blocks for petrochemicals and

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civil engineering, a mechanical engineering centre, lecture theatres and computer labs will all

have been added.

Due to current restrictions, ITB can only induct 10 new students for its petroleum

engineering degree programme and a further 10 for the chemical engineering course

annually, well short of the number of graduates needed in the local labour market. With the

increased capacity provided by the extensions, the institute will be able to graduate at least 40

students from its petrochemicals programme, rising to 60 by 2018.

7.0 Conclusion

Under the National Vision 2035, Brunei hoped that will be recognised everywhere for

the accomplishment of its well-educated and highly skilled people in terms of the quality of

life and the dynamic and sustainable economy.Today, the Continuing Education Section

under DTE with his motto “it is necer too late to learn” coordinates all the Adult Learning

and Education (ALE) foe MOE.

The Ministry of Education of Brunei Darussalam is committed in producing human

capital with knowledge, skills and competencies to meet the changing economic conditions

and economies of the 21st century. The MOE will continue to support the development and

imlementation of education and learning programmes which allow for learning throughout

life in a variety context. This will include at all level of education from pre-school through to

tertiary and extending to adult education and learning in the country.

References

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International Conference on Educational Challenges in the World Community of the 21st

Century, Manila, Philippines.

“Education Statistics 2005,2006, and 2007”, published by the Management of

Education Data Section of the Department Planning, Research and Development of the

Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam.

Minnis, J.R., 1997. Economic diversification in Brunei: The need for closer

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Tabbron, G., Yang, J., 1997. The interaction between technical and vocational

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