Why Brunei can easily be food-sufficient
MICHAEL A BENGWAYAN
MANILA
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
THERE are moves for Brunei to engage China's assistance for its food production drive. But if agricultural experts have been hesitant in saying Brunei can be self-sufficient in food, economists have been more blunt.
Brunei and countries with similar geography can easily be self-sufficient in food. That is what prominent economic expert Ricardo Hausmann, director of International Development Center for International Development at Harvard University says. He avers that only tropical, landlocked nations may never enjoy access to the markets and new technologies they need to flourish in the global economy in his book Prisoners of Geography.
Brunei is not landlocked, it has excellent access to sea and land travel — but why is most of its food being imported?
Brunei imports some 80 per cent of its food needs and the government is attempting to increase agricultural production.
While Brunei is nearly self-sufficient in vegetables, it still imports 100 vegetables such as baby kailan/tunas, tomato, young corn, tomato, chilli, rebong, daun selasih, pucuk batat, peria, kuchai, kailan, sawi bunga and timun manis from Sabah and Sarawak, the Agricultural Ministry said.
Brunei produces only over one per cent of rice locally and imports 60 to 70 per cent of tropical fruits as well as cattle and poultry.
Last year alone, 3,185 metric tonnes of agricultural commodities worth US$2.2 million ($3.2 million) were imported.
According to statistics from the Agricultural Department, the total consumption of vegetables last year was 16,098 metric tonnes with an estimated retail value of US$36.7 million. Of the total, 9,518.1 metric tonnes with an estimated retail value of US$21.6 million, was locally produced.
How then does Brunei's geography help the country leap-frog to food self-sufficency?
Hausmann implies that with Brunei's location, it can easily access research, information and technology for the development of its agriculture by spending more of its oil and gas earnings on agricultural research and development.
He said the divergence in agricultural productivity between the developed and developing world is grounded in dramatically different research and development capabilities.
Governments in advanced economies spend up to five times more on agriculture-related research and development than their counterparts in developing countries.
Rich nations also benefit from the expenditures of private agricultural producers — a source of funding that is virtually nonexistent in developing nations. Geography aggravates this disparity. The agricultural sector of tropical countries should then be more dynamic than in temperate zones.
Since unproductive agricultural workers can produce little more than what they require for personal subsistence (and therefore cannot support large urban populations), rural areas remain sparsely populated, have small, poor markets, and suffer from high transportation costs — all of which hamper economic growth, he added..
Brunei, then, has to spend more on agricultural research, farmer training and extension and make farming not only a way of living but more so of an enterprise to attract more Bruneians to engage in agricultural activities.
The agricultural ministry intends to generate strategic and innovative technologies in relevant areas of agrotechnology to promote sustainable development of the agriculture and agri-food industries. But to concretise this, there is an urgent need that a strong research focus be initiated and sustained backed by a vibrant group of agriculturists.
While land, finance, and irrigation facilities are available, agricultural activities lack manpower resources. The gap between wages in farming and the public sector is large, and most Bruneians have little interest in agricultural production.
In 1996, out of an economically active population of 127,000, only 2,000 — less than 2 per cent — were engaged in the agriculture.
The picture should change.
At present, just less than fifteen per cent of the land is cultivated, resulting in low agricultural output and continued dependence on the importation of food from abroad.
For example, the government maintains a cattle ranch in Australia to ensure a steady supply of beef. This ranch, located at Willeroo in the Northern Territory, is actually larger than the entire country of Brunei.
Thailand continues to be a source for a large percentage of Brunei's staple food, rice.
According to Brunei's agricultural ministry, the government has numerous incentives to encourage people to work in the agricultural sector, including free pesticides, low-cost fertilisers, training programs, model farms, and other support from the Agriculture Department. Despite this governmental assistance, during the 1990's less than five per cent of the workforce was employed in agriculture (many of whom were only involved in subsistence farming).
The government has also tried to encourage the production of mushrooms and specialty fruit for the export market, but to date there has been only modest progress in these areas.
It is also upporting the development of local agriculture and agri-food industries by providing advisory, consultancy, technical services and technology transfer in relevant areas of agrotechnology to the industries.
Yet, there is a need to strengthen the link between technology generated, verified and applicable technologies with those of technology end-users.
A leading agriculturist from the University of the Philippine College of Agriculture at Los Banos where some of Asia's best agriculturists have studied, Dr Lucy Villanuena, said Brunei should grow globally competitive and high value crops to attract its young population to engage in agricultural enterprise.
Dr Lucio Victor, a former agriculture university president and who helped Malaysia in the early 80s in the country's agricultural boom as a consultant, said there was a need to develop outstanding crop of agricultural scientists to propel agriculture to competitive level.
There should also be an upswing in promoting agriculture as a college course for the young Bruneian population besides urging them to be more responsive to economically productive endeavours.
The writer is a Filipino writer on environment and community development issues.
The Brunei Times
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Brunei education system one of the best
Published on The Brunei Times (http://www.bt.com.bn/en)
Brunei education system one of the best
Rozan Yunos
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Sunday, October 21, 2007
BRUNEI'S literacy rate according to the latest statistics is more than 94 per cent, making it one of the highest in the world. Yet, barely a century ago, there was hardly anyone in Brunei who could read or write the romanised characters though there were some who could read the Al-Quran.
Brunei's western mode education system was introduced only a few years after the establishment of the British Residency. The first British Resident was in Brunei in 1906 following the 1906 Agreement between Brunei and the United Kingdom. At that time, the education system in Brunei was along the line of religious education with "sekolah pondok" and students being taught the rudiments of the Islamic religion as well as how to read the Al-Quran.
It was not until 1911 that the British Resident was able to introduce a western education system. It was not because education did not play an important role for the government but it was because of the lack of funds as well as the lack of available Bruneians who would be able to become the first teachers. Between 1906 and 1910, the budgets were in deficit and it was only in 1911 that the budget showed a small surplus.
It was also thought that the introduction of a western style education so soon after the British Residency would be quite sensitive to the Brunei population then.
In 1914, the first Brunei school was built. It was a Malay vernacular school built in Brunei Town. At first the school operated from a mosque before it moved to a building which was formerly occupied by the Monopoly Office. The first group of students was made up of 30 boys.
By 1915, that number has increased to 40 boys. Another school was established in Muara with a Malay Teacher teaching at his own house. The other districts got their first schools in the next three years. In Belait, the first Malay school, the third in the country, was built in 1917. In Tutong, it was built in 1918.
The first crop of these schools was absorbed into the government as trainees by 1917 and full time government servants by 1920. Some of these students were also sent to attend short teaching courses at a Teachers' Training College in Malacca in 1919.
However despite the government's efforts, many parents did not want to send their children to schools. Even though there were shortages of teachers and shortages of school buildings, there were also shortages of willing parents. Most of the boys who attended were from the upper class and very few from the village commoners. Most parents refused to send their daughters to school.
As described by one mother who only attended up to Primary 2, her mother and her aunt told her that there was no point for her to have the ability to read and write: she would just waste that writing love letters to boys. Some parents feared that sending daughters would be a waste as they would end up as housewives anyway.
Nevertheless, the need for education was slowly being accepted by the masses. The Chinese community established their own school in 1916. In 1925, the villagers at Kampong Kilanas asked for a school to be built in their area and it was built the year after.
The education provided was free but the curriculum was not geared towards anything other than basic general education.
Education in these early vernacular schools was quite limited. Most of the education was conducted in Malay for boys aged between seven and fourteen years. The curriculum consisted of Reading and Writing (in both Jawi and Roman script), Composition, Arithmetic, Geography, History, Hygiene, Drawing and Physical Education. Gardening and Basketry were later introduced at some schools.
The government report of 1928 noted that "the curriculum of these schools is based on that of the vernacular schools in Malaya and all teaching is in the Malay language nothing is taught which will tend to drive Malays from their agriculturist pursuits". The education provided only enabled the students to fill in the lower government posts. Despite that the government continued to pursue better education for all.
In 1926 an education inspector (known as Nazir) was appointed. Teachers were also being trained at the Sultan Idris Teacher Training College in Tanjung Malim, Malaysia.
In order to encourage parents to send their children to school, limited compulsory attendance was introduced in 1929 via the School Attendance Enactment (No 3 of 1929). The Brunei Town area was the only location immediately affected. It was introduced in Kuala Belait in 1933.
The government continued to have a tough task in getting girls to school. One government report in 1933 noted that "apart from government servants few Malays like the idea of their girls attending schools it is hoped, however, that slow progress will be made against the wall of conservatism it must be remembered that purdah has a much stronger hold in Brunei than in the Federated Malay States".
Yet, by the outbreak of World War II in 1941, there were 312 girls among 1,746 pupils. The number of schools in Brunei had increased to 32 which included 24 Vernacular Malay, 3 private English and 5 private Chinese.
After the war, there was a number of shortages. In Brunei Town, some students described their school as having no paper and no furniture. Every time they had to write something, they will be using a slab which would be wiped clean every time they have covered the slab. The students would be on the floor lying prone facing downwards writing on their slabs. Their pencils would be an inch stub scavenged from the Australian army camp. To make the pencils longer, the students used empty bullet casing fitted in at the end of the pencils.
There was much reconstruction after the war. In October 1951 a Brunei Town Government English school was opened, followed by the opening of another in Kuala Belait the following year. In less than three years, the Government was able to introduce English- medium secondary education to the country. By 1966, the Government also started Malay medium secondary education.
In 1954 Brunei embarked on a five year Development Plan for education. New schools were planned. Many teachers were trained and expatriates employed as additional teachers in the schools.
By the completion of that Plan in 1959, there were 15,006 pupils enrolled in the State's schools, 30 per cent of whom were girls. There were 52 Malay primary schools; 3 English schools (including one exclusively for girls that had been completed in 1958); 7 mission schools; 8 Chinese primary schools and 3 Chinese secondary schools. In addition, there were 133 Bruneians at teacher training colleges overseas, and many at Brunei's own college that had opened in 1956.
In August 1969, following a Brunei Youth Council seminar on education which focused on the needs and importance of having a national education policy; an Education Commission was established in 1970. The 1972 Commission Report was adopted by the government and this formed the basis for the present education policy as well as the basic organisation of the present Ministry of Education. An Education Council was established and the recommendation of the use of Malay as the main medium of instruction. Though by 1984, a bilingual education policy — dwibahasa — was introduced.
Today there are more than 110,000 students in the Brunei Education System with more than 270 education establishments throughout the country. Education is provided free up to university level and beyond for Brunei citizens. The education provided is expected to produce Bruneians who are able to play their part in the present day knowledge-based economy and yet, at the same, remain imbued with strong Islamic and Malay values.
A second university has just been established and the religious teacher training college has also been upgraded to be a university college.
Brunei's Education Philosophy is founded on the National Philosophy of a Malay Islamic Monarchy and incorporated the two key elements of naqli (on the basis of the holy Quran and Hadith) and aqli (on the basis of reasoning).
These two elements are essential in the development of individuals to their fullest potential, thereby bringing forth people who are knowledgeable, skillful, faithful, pious, and of excellent character which are fundamental in the realisation and emergence of a national identity based on the national philosophy as well as Islamic teachings in accordance with Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah.
How times indeed have changed when just a 100 years ago, hardly anyone in Brunei could read.
The writer runs a website on Brunei at bruneiresources.com
The Brunei Times
________________________________________
Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/life/2007/10/21/brunei_education_system_one_of_the_best
Brunei education system one of the best
Rozan Yunos
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Sunday, October 21, 2007
BRUNEI'S literacy rate according to the latest statistics is more than 94 per cent, making it one of the highest in the world. Yet, barely a century ago, there was hardly anyone in Brunei who could read or write the romanised characters though there were some who could read the Al-Quran.
Brunei's western mode education system was introduced only a few years after the establishment of the British Residency. The first British Resident was in Brunei in 1906 following the 1906 Agreement between Brunei and the United Kingdom. At that time, the education system in Brunei was along the line of religious education with "sekolah pondok" and students being taught the rudiments of the Islamic religion as well as how to read the Al-Quran.
It was not until 1911 that the British Resident was able to introduce a western education system. It was not because education did not play an important role for the government but it was because of the lack of funds as well as the lack of available Bruneians who would be able to become the first teachers. Between 1906 and 1910, the budgets were in deficit and it was only in 1911 that the budget showed a small surplus.
It was also thought that the introduction of a western style education so soon after the British Residency would be quite sensitive to the Brunei population then.
In 1914, the first Brunei school was built. It was a Malay vernacular school built in Brunei Town. At first the school operated from a mosque before it moved to a building which was formerly occupied by the Monopoly Office. The first group of students was made up of 30 boys.
By 1915, that number has increased to 40 boys. Another school was established in Muara with a Malay Teacher teaching at his own house. The other districts got their first schools in the next three years. In Belait, the first Malay school, the third in the country, was built in 1917. In Tutong, it was built in 1918.
The first crop of these schools was absorbed into the government as trainees by 1917 and full time government servants by 1920. Some of these students were also sent to attend short teaching courses at a Teachers' Training College in Malacca in 1919.
However despite the government's efforts, many parents did not want to send their children to schools. Even though there were shortages of teachers and shortages of school buildings, there were also shortages of willing parents. Most of the boys who attended were from the upper class and very few from the village commoners. Most parents refused to send their daughters to school.
As described by one mother who only attended up to Primary 2, her mother and her aunt told her that there was no point for her to have the ability to read and write: she would just waste that writing love letters to boys. Some parents feared that sending daughters would be a waste as they would end up as housewives anyway.
Nevertheless, the need for education was slowly being accepted by the masses. The Chinese community established their own school in 1916. In 1925, the villagers at Kampong Kilanas asked for a school to be built in their area and it was built the year after.
The education provided was free but the curriculum was not geared towards anything other than basic general education.
Education in these early vernacular schools was quite limited. Most of the education was conducted in Malay for boys aged between seven and fourteen years. The curriculum consisted of Reading and Writing (in both Jawi and Roman script), Composition, Arithmetic, Geography, History, Hygiene, Drawing and Physical Education. Gardening and Basketry were later introduced at some schools.
The government report of 1928 noted that "the curriculum of these schools is based on that of the vernacular schools in Malaya and all teaching is in the Malay language nothing is taught which will tend to drive Malays from their agriculturist pursuits". The education provided only enabled the students to fill in the lower government posts. Despite that the government continued to pursue better education for all.
In 1926 an education inspector (known as Nazir) was appointed. Teachers were also being trained at the Sultan Idris Teacher Training College in Tanjung Malim, Malaysia.
In order to encourage parents to send their children to school, limited compulsory attendance was introduced in 1929 via the School Attendance Enactment (No 3 of 1929). The Brunei Town area was the only location immediately affected. It was introduced in Kuala Belait in 1933.
The government continued to have a tough task in getting girls to school. One government report in 1933 noted that "apart from government servants few Malays like the idea of their girls attending schools it is hoped, however, that slow progress will be made against the wall of conservatism it must be remembered that purdah has a much stronger hold in Brunei than in the Federated Malay States".
Yet, by the outbreak of World War II in 1941, there were 312 girls among 1,746 pupils. The number of schools in Brunei had increased to 32 which included 24 Vernacular Malay, 3 private English and 5 private Chinese.
After the war, there was a number of shortages. In Brunei Town, some students described their school as having no paper and no furniture. Every time they had to write something, they will be using a slab which would be wiped clean every time they have covered the slab. The students would be on the floor lying prone facing downwards writing on their slabs. Their pencils would be an inch stub scavenged from the Australian army camp. To make the pencils longer, the students used empty bullet casing fitted in at the end of the pencils.
There was much reconstruction after the war. In October 1951 a Brunei Town Government English school was opened, followed by the opening of another in Kuala Belait the following year. In less than three years, the Government was able to introduce English- medium secondary education to the country. By 1966, the Government also started Malay medium secondary education.
In 1954 Brunei embarked on a five year Development Plan for education. New schools were planned. Many teachers were trained and expatriates employed as additional teachers in the schools.
By the completion of that Plan in 1959, there were 15,006 pupils enrolled in the State's schools, 30 per cent of whom were girls. There were 52 Malay primary schools; 3 English schools (including one exclusively for girls that had been completed in 1958); 7 mission schools; 8 Chinese primary schools and 3 Chinese secondary schools. In addition, there were 133 Bruneians at teacher training colleges overseas, and many at Brunei's own college that had opened in 1956.
In August 1969, following a Brunei Youth Council seminar on education which focused on the needs and importance of having a national education policy; an Education Commission was established in 1970. The 1972 Commission Report was adopted by the government and this formed the basis for the present education policy as well as the basic organisation of the present Ministry of Education. An Education Council was established and the recommendation of the use of Malay as the main medium of instruction. Though by 1984, a bilingual education policy — dwibahasa — was introduced.
Today there are more than 110,000 students in the Brunei Education System with more than 270 education establishments throughout the country. Education is provided free up to university level and beyond for Brunei citizens. The education provided is expected to produce Bruneians who are able to play their part in the present day knowledge-based economy and yet, at the same, remain imbued with strong Islamic and Malay values.
A second university has just been established and the religious teacher training college has also been upgraded to be a university college.
Brunei's Education Philosophy is founded on the National Philosophy of a Malay Islamic Monarchy and incorporated the two key elements of naqli (on the basis of the holy Quran and Hadith) and aqli (on the basis of reasoning).
These two elements are essential in the development of individuals to their fullest potential, thereby bringing forth people who are knowledgeable, skillful, faithful, pious, and of excellent character which are fundamental in the realisation and emergence of a national identity based on the national philosophy as well as Islamic teachings in accordance with Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah.
How times indeed have changed when just a 100 years ago, hardly anyone in Brunei could read.
The writer runs a website on Brunei at bruneiresources.com
The Brunei Times
________________________________________
Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/life/2007/10/21/brunei_education_system_one_of_the_best
Brunei education system one of the best
Published on The Brunei Times (http://www.bt.com.bn/en)
Brunei education system one of the best
Rozan Yunos
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Sunday, October 21, 2007
BRUNEI'S literacy rate according to the latest statistics is more than 94 per cent, making it one of the highest in the world. Yet, barely a century ago, there was hardly anyone in Brunei who could read or write the romanised characters though there were some who could read the Al-Quran.
Brunei's western mode education system was introduced only a few years after the establishment of the British Residency. The first British Resident was in Brunei in 1906 following the 1906 Agreement between Brunei and the United Kingdom. At that time, the education system in Brunei was along the line of religious education with "sekolah pondok" and students being taught the rudiments of the Islamic religion as well as how to read the Al-Quran.
It was not until 1911 that the British Resident was able to introduce a western education system. It was not because education did not play an important role for the government but it was because of the lack of funds as well as the lack of available Bruneians who would be able to become the first teachers. Between 1906 and 1910, the budgets were in deficit and it was only in 1911 that the budget showed a small surplus.
It was also thought that the introduction of a western style education so soon after the British Residency would be quite sensitive to the Brunei population then.
In 1914, the first Brunei school was built. It was a Malay vernacular school built in Brunei Town. At first the school operated from a mosque before it moved to a building which was formerly occupied by the Monopoly Office. The first group of students was made up of 30 boys.
By 1915, that number has increased to 40 boys. Another school was established in Muara with a Malay Teacher teaching at his own house. The other districts got their first schools in the next three years. In Belait, the first Malay school, the third in the country, was built in 1917. In Tutong, it was built in 1918.
The first crop of these schools was absorbed into the government as trainees by 1917 and full time government servants by 1920. Some of these students were also sent to attend short teaching courses at a Teachers' Training College in Malacca in 1919.
However despite the government's efforts, many parents did not want to send their children to schools. Even though there were shortages of teachers and shortages of school buildings, there were also shortages of willing parents. Most of the boys who attended were from the upper class and very few from the village commoners. Most parents refused to send their daughters to school.
As described by one mother who only attended up to Primary 2, her mother and her aunt told her that there was no point for her to have the ability to read and write: she would just waste that writing love letters to boys. Some parents feared that sending daughters would be a waste as they would end up as housewives anyway.
Nevertheless, the need for education was slowly being accepted by the masses. The Chinese community established their own school in 1916. In 1925, the villagers at Kampong Kilanas asked for a school to be built in their area and it was built the year after.
The education provided was free but the curriculum was not geared towards anything other than basic general education.
Education in these early vernacular schools was quite limited. Most of the education was conducted in Malay for boys aged between seven and fourteen years. The curriculum consisted of Reading and Writing (in both Jawi and Roman script), Composition, Arithmetic, Geography, History, Hygiene, Drawing and Physical Education. Gardening and Basketry were later introduced at some schools.
The government report of 1928 noted that "the curriculum of these schools is based on that of the vernacular schools in Malaya and all teaching is in the Malay language nothing is taught which will tend to drive Malays from their agriculturist pursuits". The education provided only enabled the students to fill in the lower government posts. Despite that the government continued to pursue better education for all.
In 1926 an education inspector (known as Nazir) was appointed. Teachers were also being trained at the Sultan Idris Teacher Training College in Tanjung Malim, Malaysia.
In order to encourage parents to send their children to school, limited compulsory attendance was introduced in 1929 via the School Attendance Enactment (No 3 of 1929). The Brunei Town area was the only location immediately affected. It was introduced in Kuala Belait in 1933.
The government continued to have a tough task in getting girls to school. One government report in 1933 noted that "apart from government servants few Malays like the idea of their girls attending schools it is hoped, however, that slow progress will be made against the wall of conservatism it must be remembered that purdah has a much stronger hold in Brunei than in the Federated Malay States".
Yet, by the outbreak of World War II in 1941, there were 312 girls among 1,746 pupils. The number of schools in Brunei had increased to 32 which included 24 Vernacular Malay, 3 private English and 5 private Chinese.
After the war, there was a number of shortages. In Brunei Town, some students described their school as having no paper and no furniture. Every time they had to write something, they will be using a slab which would be wiped clean every time they have covered the slab. The students would be on the floor lying prone facing downwards writing on their slabs. Their pencils would be an inch stub scavenged from the Australian army camp. To make the pencils longer, the students used empty bullet casing fitted in at the end of the pencils.
There was much reconstruction after the war. In October 1951 a Brunei Town Government English school was opened, followed by the opening of another in Kuala Belait the following year. In less than three years, the Government was able to introduce English- medium secondary education to the country. By 1966, the Government also started Malay medium secondary education.
In 1954 Brunei embarked on a five year Development Plan for education. New schools were planned. Many teachers were trained and expatriates employed as additional teachers in the schools.
By the completion of that Plan in 1959, there were 15,006 pupils enrolled in the State's schools, 30 per cent of whom were girls. There were 52 Malay primary schools; 3 English schools (including one exclusively for girls that had been completed in 1958); 7 mission schools; 8 Chinese primary schools and 3 Chinese secondary schools. In addition, there were 133 Bruneians at teacher training colleges overseas, and many at Brunei's own college that had opened in 1956.
In August 1969, following a Brunei Youth Council seminar on education which focused on the needs and importance of having a national education policy; an Education Commission was established in 1970. The 1972 Commission Report was adopted by the government and this formed the basis for the present education policy as well as the basic organisation of the present Ministry of Education. An Education Council was established and the recommendation of the use of Malay as the main medium of instruction. Though by 1984, a bilingual education policy — dwibahasa — was introduced.
Today there are more than 110,000 students in the Brunei Education System with more than 270 education establishments throughout the country. Education is provided free up to university level and beyond for Brunei citizens. The education provided is expected to produce Bruneians who are able to play their part in the present day knowledge-based economy and yet, at the same, remain imbued with strong Islamic and Malay values.
A second university has just been established and the religious teacher training college has also been upgraded to be a university college.
Brunei's Education Philosophy is founded on the National Philosophy of a Malay Islamic Monarchy and incorporated the two key elements of naqli (on the basis of the holy Quran and Hadith) and aqli (on the basis of reasoning).
These two elements are essential in the development of individuals to their fullest potential, thereby bringing forth people who are knowledgeable, skillful, faithful, pious, and of excellent character which are fundamental in the realisation and emergence of a national identity based on the national philosophy as well as Islamic teachings in accordance with Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah.
How times indeed have changed when just a 100 years ago, hardly anyone in Brunei could read.
The writer runs a website on Brunei at bruneiresources.com
The Brunei Times
________________________________________
Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/life/2007/10/21/brunei_education_system_one_of_the_best
Brunei education system one of the best
Rozan Yunos
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Sunday, October 21, 2007
BRUNEI'S literacy rate according to the latest statistics is more than 94 per cent, making it one of the highest in the world. Yet, barely a century ago, there was hardly anyone in Brunei who could read or write the romanised characters though there were some who could read the Al-Quran.
Brunei's western mode education system was introduced only a few years after the establishment of the British Residency. The first British Resident was in Brunei in 1906 following the 1906 Agreement between Brunei and the United Kingdom. At that time, the education system in Brunei was along the line of religious education with "sekolah pondok" and students being taught the rudiments of the Islamic religion as well as how to read the Al-Quran.
It was not until 1911 that the British Resident was able to introduce a western education system. It was not because education did not play an important role for the government but it was because of the lack of funds as well as the lack of available Bruneians who would be able to become the first teachers. Between 1906 and 1910, the budgets were in deficit and it was only in 1911 that the budget showed a small surplus.
It was also thought that the introduction of a western style education so soon after the British Residency would be quite sensitive to the Brunei population then.
In 1914, the first Brunei school was built. It was a Malay vernacular school built in Brunei Town. At first the school operated from a mosque before it moved to a building which was formerly occupied by the Monopoly Office. The first group of students was made up of 30 boys.
By 1915, that number has increased to 40 boys. Another school was established in Muara with a Malay Teacher teaching at his own house. The other districts got their first schools in the next three years. In Belait, the first Malay school, the third in the country, was built in 1917. In Tutong, it was built in 1918.
The first crop of these schools was absorbed into the government as trainees by 1917 and full time government servants by 1920. Some of these students were also sent to attend short teaching courses at a Teachers' Training College in Malacca in 1919.
However despite the government's efforts, many parents did not want to send their children to schools. Even though there were shortages of teachers and shortages of school buildings, there were also shortages of willing parents. Most of the boys who attended were from the upper class and very few from the village commoners. Most parents refused to send their daughters to school.
As described by one mother who only attended up to Primary 2, her mother and her aunt told her that there was no point for her to have the ability to read and write: she would just waste that writing love letters to boys. Some parents feared that sending daughters would be a waste as they would end up as housewives anyway.
Nevertheless, the need for education was slowly being accepted by the masses. The Chinese community established their own school in 1916. In 1925, the villagers at Kampong Kilanas asked for a school to be built in their area and it was built the year after.
The education provided was free but the curriculum was not geared towards anything other than basic general education.
Education in these early vernacular schools was quite limited. Most of the education was conducted in Malay for boys aged between seven and fourteen years. The curriculum consisted of Reading and Writing (in both Jawi and Roman script), Composition, Arithmetic, Geography, History, Hygiene, Drawing and Physical Education. Gardening and Basketry were later introduced at some schools.
The government report of 1928 noted that "the curriculum of these schools is based on that of the vernacular schools in Malaya and all teaching is in the Malay language nothing is taught which will tend to drive Malays from their agriculturist pursuits". The education provided only enabled the students to fill in the lower government posts. Despite that the government continued to pursue better education for all.
In 1926 an education inspector (known as Nazir) was appointed. Teachers were also being trained at the Sultan Idris Teacher Training College in Tanjung Malim, Malaysia.
In order to encourage parents to send their children to school, limited compulsory attendance was introduced in 1929 via the School Attendance Enactment (No 3 of 1929). The Brunei Town area was the only location immediately affected. It was introduced in Kuala Belait in 1933.
The government continued to have a tough task in getting girls to school. One government report in 1933 noted that "apart from government servants few Malays like the idea of their girls attending schools it is hoped, however, that slow progress will be made against the wall of conservatism it must be remembered that purdah has a much stronger hold in Brunei than in the Federated Malay States".
Yet, by the outbreak of World War II in 1941, there were 312 girls among 1,746 pupils. The number of schools in Brunei had increased to 32 which included 24 Vernacular Malay, 3 private English and 5 private Chinese.
After the war, there was a number of shortages. In Brunei Town, some students described their school as having no paper and no furniture. Every time they had to write something, they will be using a slab which would be wiped clean every time they have covered the slab. The students would be on the floor lying prone facing downwards writing on their slabs. Their pencils would be an inch stub scavenged from the Australian army camp. To make the pencils longer, the students used empty bullet casing fitted in at the end of the pencils.
There was much reconstruction after the war. In October 1951 a Brunei Town Government English school was opened, followed by the opening of another in Kuala Belait the following year. In less than three years, the Government was able to introduce English- medium secondary education to the country. By 1966, the Government also started Malay medium secondary education.
In 1954 Brunei embarked on a five year Development Plan for education. New schools were planned. Many teachers were trained and expatriates employed as additional teachers in the schools.
By the completion of that Plan in 1959, there were 15,006 pupils enrolled in the State's schools, 30 per cent of whom were girls. There were 52 Malay primary schools; 3 English schools (including one exclusively for girls that had been completed in 1958); 7 mission schools; 8 Chinese primary schools and 3 Chinese secondary schools. In addition, there were 133 Bruneians at teacher training colleges overseas, and many at Brunei's own college that had opened in 1956.
In August 1969, following a Brunei Youth Council seminar on education which focused on the needs and importance of having a national education policy; an Education Commission was established in 1970. The 1972 Commission Report was adopted by the government and this formed the basis for the present education policy as well as the basic organisation of the present Ministry of Education. An Education Council was established and the recommendation of the use of Malay as the main medium of instruction. Though by 1984, a bilingual education policy — dwibahasa — was introduced.
Today there are more than 110,000 students in the Brunei Education System with more than 270 education establishments throughout the country. Education is provided free up to university level and beyond for Brunei citizens. The education provided is expected to produce Bruneians who are able to play their part in the present day knowledge-based economy and yet, at the same, remain imbued with strong Islamic and Malay values.
A second university has just been established and the religious teacher training college has also been upgraded to be a university college.
Brunei's Education Philosophy is founded on the National Philosophy of a Malay Islamic Monarchy and incorporated the two key elements of naqli (on the basis of the holy Quran and Hadith) and aqli (on the basis of reasoning).
These two elements are essential in the development of individuals to their fullest potential, thereby bringing forth people who are knowledgeable, skillful, faithful, pious, and of excellent character which are fundamental in the realisation and emergence of a national identity based on the national philosophy as well as Islamic teachings in accordance with Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah.
How times indeed have changed when just a 100 years ago, hardly anyone in Brunei could read.
The writer runs a website on Brunei at bruneiresources.com
The Brunei Times
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Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/life/2007/10/21/brunei_education_system_one_of_the_best
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