Educators: Some of the participants of yesterday's International Education Conference. Teachers were told to appreciate diversity and acquire skills and capacity to educate students effectively. Picture: Syafie Nadi
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
TEACHERS must have an appreciation for diversity, and the skills and capacity to be effective in a diverse classroom, the Minister of Education said.
Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education, Hj Mohd Daud Hj Mahmud, who read the speech on behalf of the minister, said that teachers are required to educate students with varying cultures, languages and abilities for today's classrooms.
During yesterday's 13th International Education Conference at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, he said that preparing new teachers for future roles would not be enough if there is no re-training of all teachers "for a lifetime of change" in classrooms.
"Greater effort must be made to identify effective methods to teach these students, and for the need for pedagogical approaches that are responsive to diverse learners," he stated
He added that pupils who do not have access to good teachers would not be encouraged to learn to their best abilities, and would pay the price in earning lower incomes.
"Teacher quality is the single most important variable that influences pupil achievement at school," he said.
What also needs to be understood is the need for educators to distinguish the link between theory and practice, which can only come from experiences of teaching in classrooms.
Hj Mohd Daud said that the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE) in Universiti Brunei Darussalam, as the sole local educational training institution, plays a crucial and challenging role in preparing the present and future teachers of Brunei with the necessary knowledge and ability to become effective teachers.
"SHBIE has to become an agent of educational change that will create high quality teachers as required by the nation," he said, adding that it is not enough to keep up with others, but rather find ways to move rapidly to lead that change.
He said that making this change requires a change of mindset from "a comfort zone of resistance to change, to be accountable in embracing new ideas and best practices," he said.
To carry out the SPN21 successfully, the ministry needs the commitment and support of all stakeholders, including SHBIE, in the preparation of present and future teachers as well as in preparing them for the changes in the new curriculum and teaching approaches as required in the new education system.
Currently, Brunei is restructuring higher education to provide greater access and eliminate inequalities, starting with the setting up of a cabinet-level committee in 2007.
This committee is delegated the task of charting the higher education landscape for the next 10 years by being aware of the trends of tertiary education in institutions outside Brunei that is becoming more market-orientated.
The International Conference of Education is an avenue for researchers, practitioners and policy makers alike who are making a difference through the development of new approaches to teaching and learning for a diverse yet interdependent world, the minister said.
The Brunei Times
Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education, Hj Mohd Daud Hj Mahmud, who read the speech on behalf of the minister, said that teachers are required to educate students with varying cultures, languages and abilities for today's classrooms.
During yesterday's 13th International Education Conference at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, he said that preparing new teachers for future roles would not be enough if there is no re-training of all teachers "for a lifetime of change" in classrooms.
"Greater effort must be made to identify effective methods to teach these students, and for the need for pedagogical approaches that are responsive to diverse learners," he stated
He added that pupils who do not have access to good teachers would not be encouraged to learn to their best abilities, and would pay the price in earning lower incomes.
"Teacher quality is the single most important variable that influences pupil achievement at school," he said.
What also needs to be understood is the need for educators to distinguish the link between theory and practice, which can only come from experiences of teaching in classrooms.
Hj Mohd Daud said that the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE) in Universiti Brunei Darussalam, as the sole local educational training institution, plays a crucial and challenging role in preparing the present and future teachers of Brunei with the necessary knowledge and ability to become effective teachers.
"SHBIE has to become an agent of educational change that will create high quality teachers as required by the nation," he said, adding that it is not enough to keep up with others, but rather find ways to move rapidly to lead that change.
He said that making this change requires a change of mindset from "a comfort zone of resistance to change, to be accountable in embracing new ideas and best practices," he said.
To carry out the SPN21 successfully, the ministry needs the commitment and support of all stakeholders, including SHBIE, in the preparation of present and future teachers as well as in preparing them for the changes in the new curriculum and teaching approaches as required in the new education system.
Currently, Brunei is restructuring higher education to provide greater access and eliminate inequalities, starting with the setting up of a cabinet-level committee in 2007.
This committee is delegated the task of charting the higher education landscape for the next 10 years by being aware of the trends of tertiary education in institutions outside Brunei that is becoming more market-orientated.
The International Conference of Education is an avenue for researchers, practitioners and policy makers alike who are making a difference through the development of new approaches to teaching and learning for a diverse yet interdependent world, the minister said.
The Brunei Times