Rise in 'excellent students' in 2009 public exams

THE number of students who have scored exceptionally well in last year's lower and upper secondary and pre-university public examinations has increased compared to 2008.

According to the ministry's statistics for 2009, there was 13.3 per cent increase in students attaining excellent results for the Lower Secondary Assessment (PMB) Exams last year, while 28.32 per cent more students obtained outstanding results in the GCE 'O' Level exams, and 17.34 per cent in the GCE 'A' Level exams.

Commenting on the number of students who had achieved outstanding results in their respective examinations, Minister of Education Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Hj Abd Rahman Dato Setia Hj Mohamed Taib said "I think we are on the right track".

"I think we need young people with proper qualifications, attitudes and mindsets to carry on with the development of the country," Pehin Dato Hj Abd Rahman told The Brunei Times.

He also reminded parents and teachers of the vital roles they play in sustaining the newly-implemented education system (SPN21).

"There are a lot of things that parents and teachers can do, because the success of our new system of education depends so much on the encouragement of the parents. Teachers also need to equip themselves with new techniques of teaching, new mindsets, and hopefully with the quality of the system of education, everything will be (on track)," the minister said.

He added that as students were now exposed to new technology, teachers need to be "a few steps ahead" in equipping themselves with information.

"I think students now are facing different challenges than we did. Now we have children who are faced with ICT development."

"I think they are more open to a lot of new changes around them, and you'll find that young people are better at ICT than their parents and teachers. So teachers will need to be few steps ahead," he said.

Director of Schools Hjh Aishah Hj Muhd Husain said she was happy to note that some students who have received the awards are now pursuing higher education at 10 of the Top Universities in the World, such as Imperial College, Warwick University, University College London, Bath University and Nottingham University.

Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Mohd Yamin Hj Mokkim, former student at the Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah College said, "Indeed, we students are very fortunate because we have been given free quality education by His Majesty's government."

Mohd Yamin advised students to collectively strive and be the best citizens they can be, and become "distinctive" by upholding their identities as Bruneians.

The awards and certificates to the excellent students were presented by the Minister of Education.

The Brunei Times