Cipta boosts Bruneians' creativity in technology
Innovative: Hj Suhaila Hj Abd Karim, Director of Department of Planning, Development & Research, Ministry of Education, the guest of honour at the Cipta seminar.Picture: Khairol MahdiGOH Hj Suhaila Hj Abd karim, Direstor of Department of Planing, Development & Research, Ministry of Education. Photo/Khairol Mahdi
Friday, March 9, 2007
MORE business and technology oriented subjects would be incorporated into Brunei's new 21st century national education system, bringing mainstream education and technical education together, said the director of planning, development and research department at the Ministry of Education.
The proposed changes would ultimately and adequately prepare students for their 'O' level examinations, said Hj Suhaila Hj Abd Karim during a Creative, Innovative Product and Technological Advancement (Cipta) seminar at Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) yesterday.
He pointed out that main changes of the education system include school curriculum and assessment change, which will hopefully be articulated with technical education.
The Ministry of Education, including schools, are striving towards finding effective and sustainable teaching-learning approaches to achieve the promoting of creativity and thinking skills, he said.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, is the royal patron of the biennial Cipta competition, organised by ITB, that aims to encourage innovation and creativity for Brunei's national development.
Hj Suhaila praised ITB's efforts in organising the Cipta competition as it would contribute towards building human resource capacity of Brunei as producers, rather than just consumers of technology.
"The projects entered could be used as subjects of study for the appropriate courses or at least referred to when there is a need to relate certain scientific or engineering principles to their applications," he said.
"However, in Brunei's context, it is a pity, more often than not, that competitions like this ended with its climax of showcasing the winning entries, after which both the winners and their inventions or innovative projects faded away, never to be seen or heard again," he added.
He said that it is imperative for the winning entries of the Crown Prince Cipta award to be promoted and developed to a higher level, so that "the participants can be guided and trained further to upgrade their skills and refine their products to marketable quality."
The director has also raised the issue of the three core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science, which "are our concern at the moment".
He said that some students who struggled with Mathematics in secondary school managed to cope when they were in technical schools or colleges.
"I would like lecturers in technical institutions like ITB to share their approaches in Mathematics teaching with secondary school teachers so that this seemingly successful approaches could be emulated by them," he said.
About 20 participants are involved in this year's Cipta competition, which comprised of two categories: Creating new product, process or technology and Modifying existing product, process or technology.
Both categories are open to the public, as well as government and private organisations including secondary schools and tertiary educational institutions.
The grand prize is the Crown Prince's trophy and a cash prize of $10,000, while winners of each of the two categories will secure a cash prize of $6,000 and a Cipta trophy.
Winners, to be announced in two weeks' time, are the most prospective project that can be developed commercially, as well as generating benefits to the national development. An exhibition showcasing all project entries will be held on March 22, 2007.
The Brunei Times
The proposed changes would ultimately and adequately prepare students for their 'O' level examinations, said Hj Suhaila Hj Abd Karim during a Creative, Innovative Product and Technological Advancement (Cipta) seminar at Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) yesterday.
He pointed out that main changes of the education system include school curriculum and assessment change, which will hopefully be articulated with technical education.
The Ministry of Education, including schools, are striving towards finding effective and sustainable teaching-learning approaches to achieve the promoting of creativity and thinking skills, he said.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, is the royal patron of the biennial Cipta competition, organised by ITB, that aims to encourage innovation and creativity for Brunei's national development.
Hj Suhaila praised ITB's efforts in organising the Cipta competition as it would contribute towards building human resource capacity of Brunei as producers, rather than just consumers of technology.
"The projects entered could be used as subjects of study for the appropriate courses or at least referred to when there is a need to relate certain scientific or engineering principles to their applications," he said.
"However, in Brunei's context, it is a pity, more often than not, that competitions like this ended with its climax of showcasing the winning entries, after which both the winners and their inventions or innovative projects faded away, never to be seen or heard again," he added.
He said that it is imperative for the winning entries of the Crown Prince Cipta award to be promoted and developed to a higher level, so that "the participants can be guided and trained further to upgrade their skills and refine their products to marketable quality."
The director has also raised the issue of the three core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science, which "are our concern at the moment".
He said that some students who struggled with Mathematics in secondary school managed to cope when they were in technical schools or colleges.
"I would like lecturers in technical institutions like ITB to share their approaches in Mathematics teaching with secondary school teachers so that this seemingly successful approaches could be emulated by them," he said.
About 20 participants are involved in this year's Cipta competition, which comprised of two categories: Creating new product, process or technology and Modifying existing product, process or technology.
Both categories are open to the public, as well as government and private organisations including secondary schools and tertiary educational institutions.
The grand prize is the Crown Prince's trophy and a cash prize of $10,000, while winners of each of the two categories will secure a cash prize of $6,000 and a Cipta trophy.
Winners, to be announced in two weeks' time, are the most prospective project that can be developed commercially, as well as generating benefits to the national development. An exhibition showcasing all project entries will be held on March 22, 2007.
The Brunei Times
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