NEW SYSTEM MOOTED FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION
NEW Brunei Technical Education (BTE) system is being proposed to replace the Department of
Technical Education (DTE) and meet the country's development needs.
Brunei will also see the establishment of the first regional mega-campus (BTE Central), which is
expected to open in 2018, followed by a second campus (BTE Satellite) in 2020.
Senior adviser to the Ministry of Education and the former CEO of Singapore's Institute of Technical
Education, Dr Law Song Seng (pic), has been ommissioned by the Ministry of Education to carry out
a strategic review of the DTE system. He said the total cost of upgrading the existing campuses and
building a new BTE system for 12,000 students over the next five to seven years is estimated at $590
million.
Dr Law said the greatest weakness in the current DTE system is its "system of governance".
On the sidelines of yesterday's "Brunei Darussalam Technical Education Transformation Key
Stakeholders Sharing Session with Government Agencies and Industries Leaders", he told journalists
the system was no longer relevant and in keeping with the pace of a competitive and changing
workplace environment.
He said employers from major companies had relayed their concerns on the skills of new recruits,
regardless of the certificates they had earned from technical or vocational institutes in the country.
"This means what they have learnt is not aligned with what is needed, hence a mismatch. If the skills
are not there, the individual cannot perform their duties and then the employer has to retrain the
recruit," he said.
The non-alignment between technical training and the school system, and between the curriculum
and what employers need were two other problems identified by the consultant.
"The employers at this level are talking about competency skills. For example, a machinist and an
electrician have to do the work (required). So their inability to do this (could be because the)
curriculum is out of date or is not supported by the facilities or technology required, resulting in the
graduate maybe not being ready," Dr Law said.
Some of the key changes Dr Law proposed are course restructuring, expanding apprenticeship
options and rebranding the DTE and vocational institutions, among others.
The implementation framework will entail the launch of a white paper and an upgrading plan, the
launch of the BTE under a new constitution and a governing board in July, as well as an
organisational transition from the existing DTE to the BTE over the next two years.
"We will try to gear up as fast as we can. This is a fundamental change — the replacing of an old
system with a new one. I personally feel that trying to establish the first campus within the next seven
years and the other one two years after, is a tight (deadline). However, we are hoping we can achieve
it," he said, adding the targets were "cautiously realistic".
Dr Law said the governance of the new institute will markedly differ from that of a typical government
department, as is the case today.
"This new institute will have a governing board, including a chairman and appointed members. This
board will provide an oversight into the direction, who will talk about the mission, goals and plan to
institutionalise the processes to move forward," he added. Source. The Brunei Times, Rachel Thien
Friday 17 May 2013
Wadah Perpustakaan Bil.7, Julai 2013
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