History of education in Brunei
The 1962 and 1972 policies faced challenges due to deteriorating relations with Malaysia, which impacted Brunei’s efforts to implement Malay as the primary language of teaching.
[1] This highlights how foreign political forces, rather than internal dynamics as seen in countries like Malaysia, India, and Sri Lanka, played a significant role in shaping the success or failure of Brunei’s education programs.
[5] Due to a shortage of professionals in the sector, the first Malay primary school was founded in 1914[6] with the intention of offering formal education, including instruction in basic reading and writing in Roman script.
Following the Allied forces' liberation of Brunei in June 1945, the British Military Administration (BMA) took over the nation with the primary objective of reestablishing peace.
[12] As a result of improvements made to its educational system, Brunei witnessed a notable rise in school enrolment by the end of 1947 when compared to pre-war levels.
[12] When the Malay people in Brunei started to realise how important an English education was for improving their job opportunities, they raised concerns about mission schools' possible Christian influence.
[15] By making English education accessible to Malay youth, this proposal attempted to lessen dependency on mission schools and the religious influences they bring with them.
The opening of Anthony Abell College, a government English school in Seria, Belait District,[17] in 1952 gave the local kids more educational options.
[6] The public and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III exerted pressure for early independence, but there was also a significant drive for a structured educational system, particularly following World War II.
Before Malaysia was reformed, the Bruneian community understood the value of formal education thanks to the influence of Malay professors from Sultan Idris Training College in Tanjong Malim, Perak.
The British Education Officer acknowledged the progress made in setting up numerous schools and sending students overseas, but the policy was criticized for its narrow focus on offering opportunities for higher learning.
[19] Surprisingly the administration intended to draft a new Dasar Pendidikan Kebangsaan, 'National Education Policy' in 1962, suggesting that the opposition's idea had garnered some traction.
In order to promote harmony among many ethnic and religious groupings, the report suggested placing children of all races under a single Sistem Pendidikan Kebangsaan, 'National Education System' with Malay serving as the primary language of teaching.
This new program, which was greatly impacted by the report, intended to coordinate schools, standardise the curriculum, and bring all children of every ethnic background together under a single educational framework with Malay serving as the major language of teaching.
The government's efforts to restore calm had to take precedence over educational operations, resulting in a stagnation of policy as many schools were converted into military headquarters and detention centers.
The Malayan prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, suggested Brunei, Sarawak, and British Sabah form a Malaysian Federation in May 1961.
On 9 July 1963, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III finally turned down an offer to join Malaysia, despite his earlier willingness to do so if it served Brunei's interests.
The absence of a proposal for the sultan to become the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, large financial requirements from Malaysia, and possible British influence are among the reasons given by historians for Brunei's reluctance.
Tunku Abdul Rahman retaliated by removing Malaysian educators and officers from Brunei, which made problems in the country's public administration worse.
[23] Brunei substituted Malaysian officials with British officers after declining Malaysia's offer of federation, which made it harder to carry out the 1962 National Education Policy.
Due to linguistic barriers and political instability aggravated by Indonesia's backing of the PRB during the 1962 revolt, Brunei also refrained from implementing the Indonesian educational system.
The actualisation of the strategy was further complicated when Brunei removed its students from Malaysia, including those who were in the middle of final exams, in response to possible anti-government tendencies.
[26] The 1972 National Education Policy planned to make Malay the default medium of teaching; nevertheless, the departure of Bruneian students from Malaysia posed a major obstacle to its implementation.
This action also prevented Malay students from pursuing further education in Malaysia, forcing many of them to drop out of school in forms five or six and find entry-level positions in the government or private sectors.
The change in educational choices was influenced by the government's failure to enforce of the usage of the Malay language in schools as well as the anticipated benefits of bilingual for improved career chances and higher learning.
The goal was to make it easier for Bruneians to pursue further education overseas and to get them ready for the workforce since having fluency in English was considered essential for opportunities both domestically and globally.
The roll out is done in phases, with a group of pupils who completed the 2007 Primary School Examination (PSR) starting the in-between or transitional stage in 2008 at the secondary level.
