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| SCHOOL SYSTEM OVERVIEW______________________________________________________________ The mission of the Ministry of Education is to provide holistic education to achieve the fullest potential for all by giving quality education to our children, the future of Brunei Darussalam. To meet future challenges in an ever changing world, the Ministry has developed a vision of ‘Quality education towards a developed, peaceful and prosperous nation’. We believe this vision will realise the nation’s aspirations and produce citizens who are committed and capable of contributing towards the continued growth, stability and prosperity of the country . In its endeavour to develop the fullest potential of the child, the Ministry of Education continuously reviews the education system in order to meet with the demands and future challenges of the nation and, more importantly, to cater to every child’s ability and aptitude.For this, the Ministry has devised ten-year strategic objectives (2006 – 2015) prioritising human resource development in order to meet Brunei Darussalam’s need for an educated and mqarketable workforce.The education system also aims to inculcate sound moral values as a strong foundation in an era of rapid progress and change . The Ministry of Education has a policy of providing a minimum of 12 years of education. This comprises 7 years in primary education (inclusive of 1 year in pre-school) and 5 years in secondary. In view of the importance of education in the life of an individual, the Ministry of Education is also in the process of making education compulsory for every child . The education system places strong emphasis on literacy, numeracy, science, physical education, as well as civics and moral education. The bilingual policy introduced in 1984 enables the child to acquire the national language, Malay, and English. Proficiency in the latter enables the child to access a greater mass of information in this globalised world. School children are also exposed to ICT skills to promote creativity, independent learning and enhance higher order thinking skills.
EDUCATION SYSTEM ___________________________________________________________ Education System's Diagram (pdf files)
PRIMARY EDUCATION __________________________________________________ At the primary level, pupils go through a year at pre-school before proceeding to lower primary (primary I – 3) and later to upper primary (primary 4 – 6). The overall aim of primary education is to give children a firm foundation in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy as well as to provide opportunities for their personal growth and character development. To nurture children’s abilities, the primary curriculum puts emphasis on basic communication, literacy, numeracy and Information Communication & Technology (ICT) skills. This aims to mould and develop the students’ character and thinking ability, whilst encouraging creativity, independence and social skills. The spiritual and moral themes embedded within the curriculum help to develop the pupils, while fostering adherence to the Islamic way of life. Subjects taught at the lower primary level are: Bahasa Melayu (including Jawi script), English Language, Mathematics, Pelajaran Am (General Studies), Pengetahuan Agama Islam (Islamic Religious Knowledge), Pendidikan Jasmani (Physical Education), Lukisan (Art) and Sivik (Civics). At Primary Four, children wishing to continue their studies in Arabic schools sit for a selection test. Successful candidates continue to follow the National Curriculum for another two years with the addition of a few other subjects taught in Arabic. The upper primary curriculum strengthens the basic skills of students in formal education and bilingual competence. The instruction is more formal. Learning is oriented towards the study and understanding of information related to the surroundings and environment of the students themselves. Subjects in the upper primary curriculum include Bahasa Melayu, English Language, Mathematics, Science, Sejarah (History), Geography, Islamic Religious Knowledge, Physical Education, Art and Handicrafts, and Civics. At the end of upper primary, students are prepared to cope with the wider variety of subjects offered in the secondary curriculum. At the end of their primary education, students (including those attending Arabic Schools) sit for the Primary School Assessment or Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (PSR) before entering the lower secondary level. SECONDARY The secondary level follows a two-phase stage: lower secondary and upper secondary. The lower secondary level covers three years of education at the end of which students sit for the Lower Secondary Assessment or Penilaian Menengah Bawah (PMB) examination. At the start of their secondary education, students are placed in either the mainstream or Level II programme according to how they perform at PSR. The different curricular emphases cater to the different learning abilities and inclinations. It is the aim of lower secondary education to prepare students for upper secondary and vocational/technical education and training. The majority of students will proceed to ‘O’ level following the mainstream curriculum whilst the Level II caters for those who are motivated by a vocationally-oriented curriculum. The Level II lower secondary curriculum is devised as an alternative programme for students who are more inclined towards vocationally-oriented studies especially those who have sat for PSR twice and are still not able to fulfill the minimum passing rate. Designed to enable students to explore their abilities and develop their vocational/technical potential, the Level II curriculum consists of core and optional subjects. As of 2006, the PMB Level II Examination has been discontinued. Assessment of students in the Level II programme is now wholly school-based and carried out on a continuous and less formal basis. For Bahasa Melayu, Islamic Religious Knowledge and MIB, all lower secondary students cover the same curriculum. A new subject known as Al-Quran and Islamic Religious Knowledge (Al-Quran dan Pengetahuan Agama Islam – PAI) was introduced in selected secondary schools in January 2000. This was piloted in selected primary schools in 1994.
Upper Secondary - Based on their PMB performance, students in the mainstream curriculum are placed in either the Science or Arts Stream. Level II students follow the Secondary Vocational Programme (Program Menengah Vokasional - PMV). The duration of schooling at these levels is either two or three years. Education at the upper secondary level is general in nature with some provision for specialisation in science, arts and technical fields. At the end of the second year, high academic achievers may sit for the Brunei-Cambridge GCE Ordinary level (GCE ‘O’ Level) examination. As of 2006, apart from the National Vocational Certificate (NVC) in Clerical Studies, other options available to PMV students are the National Trade Certificate Grade 3 (NTC3) in various vocational subjects. The PMV programme spans a period of 2 years, consisting of a 6-month foundation course, a one-year NVC/NTC3 course and a six-month attachment. All subjects are taught in English except Kemahiran Bahasa Melayu, Tarbiah Islam and Bimbingan Asas Etika Kerja. Students who have successfully completed PMV will be awarded a certificate in BDTVEC NVC or NTC3 which is recognized by the National Accreditation Council and the Public Service Commission.
To cater to the varied talents and aptitudes of students, a number of other routes are available to secondary school students based on their performance at PSR. Science schools Entry into the Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College or Pengiran Jaya Negara Secondary School is based on offer being made to students (who are citizens) with straight As in all the five subjects in PSR. Sports School Students with athletic and/or sports inclinations may opt to go to the Sports School after their PSR. For entry, a student will need to pass an aptitude test and be either a citizen or permanent resident. Privately-funded Schools Privately-funded schools provide more choice and variety for students in Brunei. They also represent added sources of ideas and innovative practices in education. Private schools account 30 per cent of the number of educational institutions in this country. A few international schools like the Jerudong International School (JIS) and International School Brunei (ISB) have also established themselves in the education landscape offering a British curriculum (ISB offers a modified version of the National Curriculum of England) where pupils work towards GCSE and A-level / International Baccalaureate (IB) qualifications. vPOST SECONDARY Vocational Schools Sultan Bolkiah Vocational School, Nakhoda Ragam Vocational School, Pusat Latihan Mekanik (Mechanic Training Centre), Business School and Wasan Vocational School were established to provide a variety of craft courses to students completing PMB and showing potential and ability in craft and vocational skills. The main objective of these schools is to produce a skilled labour force to meet the nation's man-power needs in line with modern challenges and technologies. Courses on offer include Electrical and Electronics, Clerical Studies, Furniture Making, Plumbing, Hairdressing, Carpentry, Bricklaying and Concreting, Painting and Decorating, Crops Production and Fish Husbandry. Sixth form colleges Students who have the necessary ‘O’ Level qualifications may proceed to do a two-year pre-university course leading to the Brunei-Cambridge Advanced Level Certificate of Education examination (GCE 'A' Level). Pre-university education prepares students for entrance to universities and other higher education institutions in Brunei Darussalam and overseas. Depending on their English Language ‘O’ Level grades, all pre-university students are required to take English Language at an appropriate level such as the *‘A/S’ Level General Paper, Thinking Skills, English A.S., English Language & Literature or ‘O’ Level English. Students may choose a combination of three or more ‘A’ Level subjects according to approved subject combinations. Note : A.S – Advanced Subsidiary
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Other facilities include multi-purpose halls and sports amenities like track and field, netball, football, futsal and takraw courts.
Citizens who attend private schools at the primary and secondary levels may also apply for an education allowance. Students will need to be at least 5 years old to be eligible.
Term 1: Early January – Mid March
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