MoE spending $80m on e-Edu projects

A WHOPPING $1.14 billion has been allocated from the National Development Plan budget by the government to the development of the Info-communications Technology (ICT) sector as ICT skills and enhancing basic ICT infrastructure has been considered "high priority".

This was related by the Ministry of Education's (MoE) Permanent Secretary (Higher Education), Hj Mohd Daud Hj Mahmud yesterday during the opening of a three-day National Workshop on New Information Technologies and Tools in Scientific Education at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).

Hj Mohd Daud said that under the ministry's current National Development Plan 2007-2012, MoE has been allocated with additional funds to carry out another 15 e-Education projects (ICT projects) by the government, on top of the $145 million for 29 e-Education projects in its 8th National Development Plan.

He told The Brunei Times that about $80 million has been allocated by the government through its National Development Plan to carry out the 15 e-Education projects.

"We have implemented most of the 29 e-Education projects in the 8th National Development Plan. Under our current plan 2007-2012, we will be carrying out 95 projects, where 58 of them will be infrastructure projects and 15 for e-Education projects," he said.

With the introduction of ICT in schools, such as providing portable laptops through the Mobitel projects and the Interactive Whyte Board (IWB) in special rooms in schools, Hj Mohd Daud said ICT will provide the opportunity for a student-centric approach that will engage students in the learning process. "I am confident that our future generation of students who are already native in the digital world will be comfortable with the 21st century learning environment, where it is a learner's centric, technology enriched and digital learning environment that is in line with our SPN21 (National Education System for the 21st Century) and the Brunei Vision 2035," he said.

Hj Mohd Daud said that technical literacy was an essential component of job readiness, citizenry and life skills.

"Research shows that technology influences learning in three significant ways; as a driver of change, a bridge to academic excellence, and a platform for informed decision-making and accountability."

He added that students must not only become competent in the use of technology and associated applications, but they must also be able to apply their skills to practical situations.

He further said that MoE, in realising that developing Science Technology and Innovation (STI) education was key to diversifying and expanding the country's economy, has a list of initiatives towards achieving this goal, among which is increasing and upgrading Science laboratories and equipment in primary and secondary schools as well as training and re-training primary and secondary Mathematics and Science teachers.

The Brunei Times