Historically, the first Malay language school began in what was then Brunei Town (now the capital and renamed Bandar Sri Begawan) in 1912. Similar schools in other towns followed it. A Chinese school was established in 1916, followed by an English medium one in 1931. The growth in schools, both government and private, continued through World War II and beyond. The first five-year plan for economic development, beginning in 1954, resulted in the creation of the Ministry of Education.

a)    School education

The education system in Brunei is modelled on the British system, with Brunei-Cambridge GCE A-levels being used to prepare students for entrance to university and other higher education institutions in Brunei Darussalam and overseas.

The formal school system in Brunei Darussalam adopts the 1-6-3-2-2 pattern representing a year of pre-school, six years of primary education, three years of lower secondary, two years of upper secondary or vocational or technical education and two years of pre-tertiary education. Education at the post-secondary and tertiary level is provided by technical and vocational training centres, colleges, institutes and universities. There are currently 206 primary schools, 47 secondary schools, 9 technical/vocational/nursing centres, one higher institution and three universities.

The academic year consists of 4 terms of around 10 to 12 weeks each, beginning on 02 January with a 4-week break at the end of the year.

Pre-Primary Level

Children enter the educational system at the age of five and stay at the pre-school level for one year. However, in non-government schools, children may enter pre-school at the age of three for three years of pre-school before proceeding to primary education.

Primary Level

The duration of Primary level education is six years, (Primary 1 to Primary 6). The primary level is divided into lower primary (Primary I to III) and upper primary (Primary IV to VI). At the lower primary level, the medium of instruction is Malay Language. Pupils at the upper primary level onwards follow the bilingual system of education. At the end of upper primary education, pupils sit ), a public examination, the Primary Certificate of Education (PCE). The subjects examined are Malay Language, English Language, Mathematics, General Paper and Science. Pupils must obtain passes in both Malay and English Language, Mathematics and either General Paper or Science to enter Secondary education. Those who fail will re-sit for the PCE examination in January the following year.

Secondary Level

The education system in Brunei is modelled on the British system, with Brunei-Cambridge GCE A-levels being used to prepare students for entrance to university and other higher education institutions in Brunei Darussalam and overseas. Education at the secondary level is divided into lower secondary (Form I to III) and upper secondary levels (Form IV to V).

The duration of Lower Secondary schooling is three years. At the end of the third year, students sit for the Penilaian Menengah Bawah (PMB) or Lower Secondary Assessment examination, as a non-terminal public examination. It assists the channelling of students to either vocational schools or an academic stream and serves as a national assessment for students' achievement after three years of secondary education.

On passing the PMB examination (beginning 2004) students are channelled into the Science, Arts or Technical stream in the Upper Secondary Level. At the end of Secondary 5, academic achievers will sit for the Brunei-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE ‘O' Level) examination. (The GCE `N' Level examinations were previously offered to less academically inclined students were abolished in 2006).Those with relevant `O' Level passes may then proceed to do a further two-year Pre-University course leading to the Brunei-Cambridge Advance Level Certificate of Education examination (GCE `A' Level).

They may then decide to opt for employment, undertake training programmes at the various technical and vocational colleges in the country or complete their tertiary education either at a domestic university or abroad.

Non-Government Schools

There are 80 private schools in Brunei offering nursery, primary and secondary education in Brunei Darussalam. The role of these non-Government schools is to reduce reliance on the Government to provide education for the children of the country and also offer parental choice. The Government provides a monthly education allowance for citizens and permanent residents who are Government employees.

b)    Vocational education and training (VET)

Students who have completed the PMB or the BC-GCE 'O' level examinations can pursue vocational education in a Technical or Engineering College offering 2.5 year certificate level courses in crafts or technical programmes.

The following centres offer VTE courses:

Nakhoda Ragam Vocational School

Sultan Bolkiah Vocational School

The Mechanical Training Centre

Sultan Saiful Rijal Technical College

The Jefri Bolkiah College Of Engineering

Brunei Arts and Handicraft Training Centre

Sekolah Vokasional Lambak Kanan

Students who have adequate and relevant 'O' level results may proceed to the pre-university level. At this level, most students follow a two year course leading to the Brunei-Cambridge General Certificate of Education 'Advanced' (BC-GCE 'A') level examination. Those who complete 'A' level courses with adequate and relevant passes may be eligible for entry to Universiti Brunei Darussalam or other tertiary institutions or be awarded scholarships for further studies abroad.

Laksamana College Of Business opened in March 2002 and offers pre-university, undergraduate degree and professional courses. This is a joint venture college with Kensington College of Business in London, offering studies in Accountancy, Business Studies, Law, IT, Travel/Tourism, IELTS and others, as well as certificate, diploma and pre-university foundation courses for `O' Level holders, providing an alternative pathway for students wishing to obtain a UK degree. The Brunei Accreditation Council accredits the university foundation and degree courses.

The Brunei Institute Of Geomatics (BIG) was launched in September 2003. Geomatics is the art, science and technology related to the management of geographically related information.Disciplines include surveying, mapping, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS).

Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Is a learning institution that combines memorizing the AI-Quran with the learning of Quranic knowledge and other academic subjects.

Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre was built in Temburong in 1991 with the aim of carrying out joint research with the Royal Geographical Society of London to provide baseline data for research at the Centre on tropical rain forests.

c)     Higher education

Pre-Tertiary and Tertiary Education

Maktab Jururawat Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah (THE PAPRSB NURSING COLLEGE) is 18 years old. A tertiary nursing educational institution, it provides Pre- Registration Diploma in Nursing Courses, Diploma in Nursing (Conversion), Diploma in Midwifery and Advanced Diploma Nursing courses for registered nurses, as well as 10 specialised advanced courses including accident and emergency, critical care, operating theatre, community health, paediatric, otorhinolaryngology (ORL) and head and neck, therapeutic nursing and midwifery. The college launched its Diploma in Mental Health Nursing in 2004 where students received clinical placement for two weeks at the Woodbridge Mental Institute, Singapore.

Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) opened in 1985 and delivered its first PhD graduate in Mathematics Education in 2004. In November 2003, UBD signed two agreements for the commencement of medical/health care courses in the Sultanate. An MoU signed between UBD and St George's Hospital Medical School in London has resulted in the teaching of the UBD Masters of Science Degree in Primary Health Care in early 2004. This is a three-year part-time Masters Programme for clinicians interested in a career in General Practice. The contract between UBD and the Royal College of General Practitioners, UK for the accreditation of UBD as an Examining Centre for the 'Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP)' has seen UBD's Medical Institute become internationally accredited as an examination centre for the ASEAN region. Other ongoing efforts of the university include the establishment of several new research centres such as the Policy Studies Institute.

New  programmes in 2009, which include Bachelor of Business (major in business administration, economics or accounting and finance), Bachelor of Arts (major in anthropology, sociology, history, art, geography, Malay, communication, media and English), Bachelor of Health Science (major in medicine, biomedical sciences and nursing or midwifery) and Bachelor of Science (major in biotechnology, geology and petroleum geology and physical education), will encourage students to complete part of their degree in a partner institution abroad or gain work experience in a relevant context in the local industry. UBD is also forging partnerships at local and international levels for research focusing on biodiversity, energy and food security

The Brunei Institute Of Technology (INSTITUT TEKNOLOGI BRUNEI) was upgraded to the status of a university as of October 2008, but still also offers several ‘Higher National Diploma’ programs such as HND in Business & Finance (Accounting, Management, and Banking), Computing & Information Systems, Communication and Computer Systems Engineering, Electrical Power and Building Services Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. In 2000, ITB enrolled its first intake for a degree course, B Eng in Civil Engineering and the Master of Engineering course under a twinning programme run in collaboration with Queen's University of Belfast (QUB). ITB has proposed new degree courses in Computer Networking, Networking Engineering and Finance & Banking and an HND course in the field of Tourism services and hope to offer degree courses in chemical and petroleum engineering by August 2009. These are 1+3 articulation programmes with University New South Wales, Australia. Other four-year degree programmes that will be introduced are electrical and communication engineering, mechanical engineering, Internet computing, and business information technology.

Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University was established in 2007 and offers programs such as Islamic Finance and Law. As of December 2009, the university had about 300 students.

Overview of Distance Education

Instruction by distance learning is not widely used in Brunei Darussalam.

In spite of the universally accepted potential benefits of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, education delivery in Brunei Darussalam is still based on entirely, on a formal conventional system of education. This is attributed to its smallness in terms geographical area whereby all points in and around the country are accessible, and that education could be provided and delivered through conventional method.

In addition, in view of its small population and stable economy, Brunei has been able to provide favourable and accommodating educational infrastructure and set out policies that allow opportunities for Bruneians to access education in the conventional way. Consequently, ODL has not established any significant inroads as alternative modes of accessing education in Brunei Darussalam.

Despite the absence of any substantive plan to adopt this system of education delivery, Brunei Darussalam nonetheless, acknowledges the benefits of ODL, particularly, in relation to widening access in education; its flexibility and versatility in fulfilling constant re-training, ‘re-skilling’ and up-grading requirements in an ever changing society and market economy; including its perceived cost-effectiveness and lesser cost features. BDNAC has only just begun to consider how to ensure that the quality of ODL courses (mostly provided by foreign providers in collaboration with private agencies) meets their quality assurance requirements.

Education Policy

One striking educational feature of this country, which due to its prosperity ranks third in the world in per capita income, is that citizens of Brunei enjoy the benefit of access to free schooling at all levels, including university training abroad. Minorities and migrants, including a large Chinese community, are not eligible for free education. Although education in Brunei Darussalam is not compulsory, it is universal, with almost every child entering school at the age of 5 (pre-school) and remaining there until the age of 14-15 (lower secondary). The government provides free education to all citizens who attend public institutions. Tuition, textbooks, transport (where necessary) and accommodation in hostels for students from rural areas are provided free.

Brunei has a well-developed educational system that is governed by the Brunei Ministry of Education. Under the Education Act of 1984, all government and private schools are overseen by the Ministry of Education. The principal aim of the Ministry is the development of education in the country. It is responsible for developing and implementing various educational policies in Brunei, such as the National Education Policy of 1962 and the National Education System (1985) and allocating resources to all schools under its control.

The first five-year plan for economic development, beginning in 1954, resulted in the creation of the Ministry of Education. In August 1969, the Brunei Youth Council organised a seminar on education which centred on the needs and importance of having a national education policy. This led directly to the establishment of an Education Commission in 1970, which submitted a report to the Government in 1972. Parts of the report were adopted and implemented in 1974, forming the basis for the present Ministry of Education organization and hierarchy. This included the creation of an Education Council with representatives from various government bodies, the then Director of Education, the Director of the Schools Inspectorate, and a Planning, Research and Guidance Unit that acted as the Secretariat to the Council.

All primary and secondary schools follow a common curriculum that is set by the Ministry of Education. Despite both official and unofficial recommendations urging the adoption of Malay as the sole medium of instruction, currently dwibahasa (bilingualism, using both English and Malay for teaching purposes) is practiced. The Education Act requires private school teachers to register with the Ministry.

Based on Brunei's Islamic heritage and government by monarchy, its official educational philosophy emphasizes Koranic elements, such as faith and piety, along with loyalty to the Sultan. At the same time, its past reliance on Britain has resulted in educational structures and curricula that draw from that British educational system. Brunei's educational policies, as stated by the Ministry of Education, aim to achieve the following:

• To promote and sustain an educational system for Brunei Darussalam in which Malay will continue to play a leading role while English is not neglected.
• To provide education in the Islamic religion, by ensuring that Islamic values and Islamic way of life are integrated in the education system through an appropriate curriculum.
• To provide at least 12 years of education for every Bruneian child, namely 7 years in Primary (including pre-school), 3 years in Lower Secondary and 2 years in Upper Secondary or vocational school.
• To provide a common curriculum and common public examinations for all schools in the country.
• To provide educational opportunities for children in Brunei Darussalam to prepare them to play a useful role in fulfilling the needs and development of the country.
• To offer higher education to those who are capable and qualified according to the changing needs of the country.
• To form by the above means, a national identity which serves as a foundation for loyalty to the Monarch and Brunei Darussalam.
• To build into the education system the qualities of efficiency and flexibility in order to fulfil the changing needs of the country.

Determined to realise Brunei’s 2035 National Vision of moulding the people of Brunei Darussalam into highly-educated and skilled individuals, the Ministry of Education has outlined a number of initiatives to better prepare youths in facing the highly-competitive knowledge-based world. Besides introducing a new school curriculum, the Ministry of Education has plans to review its higher education programmes, implement new programmes in schools, revise the standards for Brunei teachers and prepare for a strategic blueprint for ICT education, to name but a few.

The Ministry of Education has identified ten strategic objectives that will drive these initiatives:

1. Enhance the quality of service providers
2. Increase relevancy and more balanced curriculum
3. Improve teaching and learning effectiveness (including establishing a National Teachers Registration Council and developing a systematic evaluation guideline for teachers)
4. Enhance conductive education environment and culture
5. Increase the level of partnership with community and industry
6. Strive for administrative excellence
7. Provide alternative choices of education
8. Enhance effective policy development
9. Provide more school financial autonomy

10.  Strengthen International Relations in Education

The Brunei Vision is organised into a series of five and ten-year plans, with the current being the ninth National Development Plan (RKN) 2007–2012. Under RKN 2007–2012, there is a strong focus on education, as well as a corresponding budget of BND 822 million or 8.7% of the total national budget. In addition, the government has allocated BND 295 million for human resource development-related projects, which will include overseas scholarships, among other measures. Recognising the need to strengthen the education system, the Ministry of Education will launch the new 'National Education System for the 21st Century' (SPN21). As well as providing more opportunities in the field of technical education, SPN21 aims to enhance the education structure, curriculum and assessment in order to create multiple pathways for students to progress from secondary to higher education. The net enrolment in higher education in Brunei currently stands at 13.8 per cent and the target over the next five years is 30 per cent. Science, technology and innovation education and training programmes will be further bolstered in order to reach a 60:40 ratio of science to arts students. In an effort to strengthen the country’s capacity for research and development in science and technology, a budget of BND 165 million has been allocated in RKN 2007–2012 to finance the implementation of 58 science and technology and R&D projects.

Administration and Management of the Education System

The Ministry of Education is responsible for the entire education system: all government and private schools. It oversees educational policy and allocates resources to all schools under its control. At the top of the organizational structure is the Minister, who assisted by the Deputy Minister, takes responsibility for decision-making on all important policy matters.

The Ministry has two permanent Secretaries. The first is assisted by the Special Duties Officer and is responsible for ministerial, administrative, international affairs and public relations. The second is assisted by the Director General of Education and is in charge of all professional aspects of policy planning and implementation.

There are eight departments, five units and a secretariat within the organizational structure of the Ministry of Education, and these are headed by directors and other senior personnel. The departments and units include the Department of Schools; Department of Planning, Development and Research; Department of Curriculum Development; Department of Technical Education; Department of Examinations; Department of Administration and Services; Department of Co-Curriculum; Department of Schools Inspectorate; Special Education Unit; Unit of Planning and Building Maintenance; International and Public Relations Unit; Training and Scholarship Unit; the Unit for Recruitment of Teachers; and the Science, Technology and Environment Partnership Centre.

As part of the organizational structure of the Ministry, there are the Education Planning Council, the National Accreditation Council and the Technical and Vocational Education Council. As a high-level forum for the discussion of policy and planning issues related to all levels of the education system, the Education Planning Council is chaired by the Minister of Education. Its membership includes the Deputy Minister, both Permanent Secretaries and all Directors.

The Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council is also chaired by the Minister of Education and is the sole national body responsible for evaluating and assessing qualifications recognized by the government. The Council is assisted by a Secretariat, which is a unit within the office of the first Permanent Secretary.

The Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational Education Council is chaired by the Deputy Minister of Education and validates programmes, establishes standards of performance, awards certificates in the technical and vocational education and training system and liaises with both public and private sector agencies whose work and programmes may have relevance to technical and vocational education and training needs.

Islamic religious education is controlled by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

In Brunei’s Education Act, there are only provisions binding private schools in the sultanate. The Act states that every private school in the country should be registered. Therefore, the Act may be cited as the and essentially does not apply to government schools. The Ministry of Education provides for the establishment, regulation, operation and management of government schools. Examinations in the country are regulated by the Brunei Board of Examinations There is a great need to revise the legislation, so the Education (Non-Government Schools) Act [1984 Ed.] was repealed by the Education Order 2003, and the Ministry of Education is currently in the process of working towards a much more comprehensive legal instrument.

The government provides free education to all citizens who attend public institutions at all levels, including university training abroad. Tuition, textbooks, transport, (where necessary) and accommodation in hostels for students from rural areas are provided free.

Higher Education Reforms

Higher education in Brunei Darussalam is in the process of rapid transformation. Only a decade ago, there was only a single local provider of university education. Since then, the Brunei government has created another two public institutions. The 2009 announcement that private sector providers will be allowed to enter the market has already resulted in one new entrant into the marketplace. Additional private sector ventures are likely in the near future.

Future Direction of Tertiary Education

The higher education in Brunei Darussalam is likely to be transformed over the next few years as a result of the introduction of mass tertiary education. The government is now committed to increasing student enrolment in higher education from 13.8% (2009) of the total student population to a target of 30% in 2014. As part of this process, the Brunei Darussalam government intends to create multiple pathways that will allow a greater number of young adults to progress from secondary to higher education. For many years, there has been substantial unmet demand for higher education due to insufficient places in public tertiary institutions and the lack of private providers. The Brunei government has already taken steps to increase the number of university places, and hopes to encourage the additional foreign higher education providers to enter the local market through local partnerships.

Information and Communications Technology Initiatives

The Brunei Information Technology (BIT) Council was established in October 2000. It is the main backbone for developing, formulating and implementing effective policies and establishes the framework for the strategic development and use of IT in the whole nation, coordinating and studying the various IT needs of the public sector, as well as guiding the private sector. The BIT council implements IT strategies in the public sector, supporting electronic government and a paperless society. BIT’s vision is for Brunei Darussalam to exploit IT to its full potential for national prosperity and its mission is to lead and facilitate the strategic development and diffusion of the state-of-the-art technology for the entire nation. To this end, BIT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sabah IT Council (SITC), which was established in July 1996 with an emphasis on creating an information-rich society. These two organizations deal with developments in telecommunications, as well as Internet-related applications by offering an interactive pool of resources. They co-cooperate to fulfil the IT vision for both Brunei and the State of Sabah, Malaysia.

The Ministry of Education through the Government has spent a total of B$20.7 million in the implementation of ICT initiatives. Today, almost all Government primary and secondary schools are equipped with computer hardware, software resources, ICT competency training for teachers and administrators and training courses for teachers and officers in the integration of ICT across the school curriculum. Soon, all schools will be connected to the Internet and the World Wide Web.

It is estimated that with e-Government initiatives such as the e-Education flagship, by 2005 an estimated total of B$145 million had been spent under the Ministry of Education's five pillars of strategic ICT programmes: Edunet, eLearning, Education Information System (EIS), Digital Library, and Human Capacity Building.

a)    Information society strategy

By South-east Asian standards, Brunei Darussalam has a well-developed telecommunications infrastructure. In 2009, Internet penetration was estimated at 46% of households. In addition, 85% of Internet subscribers in Brunei Darussalam have high-speed broadband. The country’s telecommunication links with the rest of the world are also exceptional by regional standards. In 2010, the government launched the Asia-American Gateway (AAG), a high-bandwidth, underwater cable system. The AAG connects Brunei Darussalam and six other countries with the US at 1.92 Tera bits per second.  The Brunei Darussalam telecommunications infrastructure would therefore seem suited to the future expansion of e-learning within the Sultanate.

The government has allocated about $950 million for the e-Government initiative under the 8th National Development Plan for ministries and government departments.

b)    Major e-learning initiatives

In 2010, the government of Brunei Darussalam announced a major roadmap for the development of ICT in education: the e-Hijrah Blueprint. This concept is intended to drive change within the country’s education system over the next six years. The Blueprint includes no less than 43 separate initiatives, adding up to an ambitious list of actions, programs and projects to support the transformation of education in Brunei Darussalam through ICT.

c)     Benchmarking e-learning

The e-Hijrah Blueprint includes an Evaluation Framework with a series of performance indicators designed to impact of each initiative as they are designed and implemented.

d)    Support for OER

None identified.

e)    Government entities

Ministry of Education

Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council
Department of Technical Education

Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational Education Council

f)      Associations and networks

Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL)

Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council

Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational Education Council

Brunei Darussalam Research Council

Brunei Malay Teachers Association

Reading and Literacy Association Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam Special Education Association

Brunei Association for Science Education (BASE)

Geographical Association Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam Chemical Society

Brunei Darussalam Computer Society

g)    Distance education journals

None identified.

Interesting Distance Education Initiatives

Although currently devoid of any distance education initiatives, Brunei has recognised the impetus to adopt online education solutions and has recently developed an e-Education Strategic Plan with a vision to transform Brunei Darussalam to a more knowledgeable, thoughtful, multi-skilled, competitive and smart nation based upon the teachings of Islam according to Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah. Their mission is to enable access for all to e-Education by providing a strong foundation in ICT thereby promoting excellence in human capacity building. The goals of the e-Education Strategic Plan have been outlined as:

1. Provision of reliable and efficient ICT resources.
2. Provision of appropriate and relevant training to all stakeholders.
3. Increased ICT pervasiveness in the working and learning environment.
4. Transformation of the teaching and learning environment where appropriate.
5. Ensuring management, administration and operational excellence in the education system.
6. Establishment of e-Education related R&D capabilities.

Education in Brunei has only recently begun to move online. The Ministry of Education of Brunei established the “e-Education Flagship” project which was signed on January 26, 2008. It could provide an interesting case study of the implementation of ICT for learning, but reports on the outcomes of announced programmes are not easy to locate. Brunei’s transformation began in 2008 with the introduction of an e-Learning Systems project that would allow universities and colleges to start distributing learning materials electronically. Among the main objectives of the e-Learning Project, the Design, Verification, Commissioning, Implementation and Maintenance of e-Learning Systems and Strategies (Ministry of Education of Brunei. The e-Learning Project: A Joint MMT/MOE Project),was deliver y of the benefits of using internet technologies to enhance learning and teaching. Its outcomes included strategic studies on e-learning in the Ministry of Education, implementation of a Learning Management System, instructional design facility, provision of authoring tools, notebooks and digital contents. In the strategic study report, over 1,000 educators and administrators in the Brunei higher education institutes were interviewed resulting in recommendations to adopt ICT Common Standards and Tools, to expand connectivity and optimize existing infrastructure, to build awareness of ICT in education, to implement best practices for ICT in education, and to provide incentives.

By 2009, UBD was launching a new e-learning system called the Automated Lecture Capture and Publishing System (ALCAPS) that facilitated the recording of lecture sessions, making it easy for students to review them by logging onto the Ministry of Education (MoE) website (Ministry of Education of Brunei. Launching Ceremony of E-Learning Information Day). The Universiti Brunei Darussalam remains committed to improving the user of ICT in Brunei’s education system with the UBD STRATEGIC PLAN 2006–2015 requiring an investment in the development of ICT infrastructure and information systems. The Strategic Plan stipulates the need to have a comprehensive policy on the development of an e-campus, managerial organization to manage the technologies, and to develop a work culture utilizing ICT in teaching, learning, research, administration and management.

The Developing Innovative Online Teaching-Learning Materials programme was announced at the end of 2010 (for 2011-2012) to initiate a pilot project to train teachers in using e-learning for developing innovative, multimedia learning materials in classrooms. The pilot, dubbed "Seameo Voctech E-Learning Academy", will train 21 teachers from technical institutions, primary and secondary schools. An aim of the project is for students also to become "ICT-enabled", so they can use the Internet not just for social networking and gaming, but most importantly, for learning. Seameo Voctech, the Department of Technical Education and the Ministry of Education (MoE) planned the training programme together. If the pilot proves successful, the programmed will be extended.