SPN21 set to score top marks

IN A span of 25 years, that is by 2034, a year before Brunei Darussalam's Vision of 2035, the Ministry of Education expects to be way ahead in achieving its objective of developing students into well-educated and highly-skilled people, leading to better quality of life and a dynamic and sustainable economy.

With the New Education System of the 21st Century (SPN21) being deployed throughout Brunei's schools, educators are optimistic and predict that the sweeping educational reform will fulfil the ministry's objectives of meeting the social and economic challenges of the 21st century. "The new system will benefit the country because it will see more students being able to work independently and being more expressive in their work. We shall see students who will contribute to the economy," said 29-year-old science teacher Lim Kok Wei.

Students will be independent learners without heavy reliance on teachers when it comes to finding notes for the syllabus and so forth, he added.

The holistic approach of SPN21 releases students from the confines of the classroom and encourages them to explore other sources of knowledge, such as the Internet.

"Students do not have to rely on teachers all the time. Gone are the days when children will be waiting for teachers to tell them what to do and what to expect. Most of the knowledge and resources will come from their own initiative and research," the science teacher explained.

Masjiah Hj Metussin, deputy principal of Seri Mulia Sarjana Primary School, believes that the holistic approach is one of the best approaches for systematic education in this era. Students' sources of information will not only be obtained from textbooks, she said, adding that children will enjoy the new method of teaching as they love adventure and interactive lessons, which fully utilises information-communication technology (ICT) to great benefit to them.

She also said that she was confident the new system will see well-rounded professionals of high calibre who are equipped with the skills needed in the 21st century.

"The new system will produce students of high quality, students we can depend on for the future, students who will be able to voice out and take on the challenges of the world. Who knows? In another 10 years, Brunei might have its very own scientist, and that is something that we do not have now," she said.

However, the deputy principal pointed out that the new style of learning will not remove all the challenges of teaching. "Whether the educational system is old or new, it will always be challenging. Teaching as a career in itself is challenging. Teaching comes from the heart and if you are sincere, the challenges will be wholeheartedly met," she said.

"The content will be the same, the challenges will be the same, but the implementation will be different. That is why we need teachers who are creative, teachers who can make students love the school and create a positive environment," she added.

Mohammad Sirazzudeen Hj Mohd Maideen, 39, agrees. He teaches pre-vocational classes at Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) College, and believes that the new system will bring about the best in teachers in terms of qualification.

"Under this system, there will be more teachers who are qualified because teachers will constantly be trained on a more consistent basis to cater to the needs of the main body of students as well as special needs students," he said.

He believes that no students will fall through the cracks of the new system and SPN21 will work because it has produced encouraging results in other countries.

As teacher who also deals with special needs students, he said that the new educational reform will bring about the best quality teaching Brunei has ever seen. "Teachers' skills will constantly improve, and so we can become experts in our fields because we are the ones who spend time with the children on a daily basis and in turn teach them the basic necessities of life," he said.

He also said that with the arrival of SPN21, the teachers are now being trained and that there are sharing sessions during which knowledge gained from these meetings is shared with other teachers so that they are able to teach students using the best practices.

"The new system will see special needs students becoming more independent in handling day-to-day tasks, such as going to the supermarket and the opportunity to experience what other children experience as well as fit better into society and contribute to the economy," he said.

In addition, that the beneficial opportunities are not only availed to special needs kids but also to low-achieving students, he added. Besides programmes tailored to children with special needs, other programmes have been proposed for secondary students, namely those aiming for academic education as well as those taking applied and specialised courses. The new system allows students more freedom and flexibility in choosing subjects that best suit their chosen careers.

Mohd Sirazzudeen explained that because of the four- to five-year programmes chosen in Years 10 and 11, low-achieving students can choose to focus on vocational and technical studies.

To sum it up, he said that the new system as a whole will see students who are well-equipped and ready to take on the challenges of an ever-changing world. "We are looking at students who will become more progressive, competitive and dynamic, and when they finally enter the work environment, their knowledge will be better and wider. Our students will be more attractive (recruitment prospects) in the job market, not just locally, but globally as well," he said.

Year 10 biology teacher Hj Mahleyuddin Hj Metussin, 37, believes SPN21 will help address human resource issues in Brunei by producing students who will in due time fill vacancies left behind by foreigners.

Year Seven math teacher Asdina Alias, 25, agrees. "The success of this system depends on the interest of students in their studies.

"If the student is really motivated and has the support, then this new system will be a success," she said.

The Brunei Times