The Ministry of Education (MoE) has prioritised good command over digital technology as one of the key focuses in the Strategic Plan 2023-2027, particularly under Goal 1, which aims to equip students with future readiness.
Minister of Education Yang Berhormat Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh highlighted this on the ninth day of the First Meeting of the 22nd Session of the Legislative Council (LegCo) yesterday in response to a question raised by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Haji Mohamad Danial @ Tekpin bin Ya’akub on the current achievements of students grasping digital technology skills, including digital literacy, software usage and cybersecurity.
She added that the latest achievements of students in digital literacy, software usage, and cybersecurity are no longer asssessed seperately. Instead, these skills are integrated across the curriculum through the Digital Literacy Standards, incorporated into the curriculum for both primary and secondary education levels.
“Students are introduced to the Digital Citizenship Framework led by the Department of Curriculum Development. This framework aims to ensure that students are not only skilled in using devices but also possess proper online ethics and awareness of cybersecurity,”the minister shared.
At both primary and secondary school levels, the assessment of digital technology proficiency is carried out through various platforms and instruments namely Digital Platform Analytics where the effectiveness of digital initiatives is monitored through the usage traffic of the Digital Resource Management System (DRMS) and MOE TV platforms. As of February, the DRMS platform recorded 29,900 visits with 213 digital resources uploaded, covering various educational levels. The platform has also proven its quality by winning the BICTA Smart Nation Award 2024. Meanwhile, MOE TV recorded 14,382 visits with 462 educational videos available.
While the new Learning Management System (LMS), where the contract was signed in July 2025, will provide reporting analytics features allowing educators to track students’ formative progress in real-time. In International Benchmarking (PISA), where Brunei Darussalam is utilising the ‘Learning in a Digital World’ cognitive domain in the 2025 PISA cycle to benchmark the digital proficiency of 15-year-old students in using digital tools to solve problems against global standards.
Yang Berhormat Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah said, “At the Higher Education level, digital proficiency is assessed through academic achievements and industry certifications. For example Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) offers professional certification courses through the Science, Technology, and Innovation Laboratory (STI Lab), which includes Huawei Academy and Cisco Academy. This ensures graduates possess globally recognised technical skills to improve employability. Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) integrates digital science skills through the School of Digital Science (SDS) and apprenticeship programmes such as the Headstart Programme with Dynamik Technologies.”
The minister highlighted, “Overall, the MoE ensures that every educational level has a conducive digital ecosystem, enabling students in the Sultanate to be competent and competitive in the global digital economy.”
Meanwhile, in response to LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman’s question on how the ministry measures the success of efforts in learning and the use of information technology among students, Yang Berhormat Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah explained, “International studies have found that the use of technology has a positive impact on strengthening the curriculum implementation and enhancing the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process. These studies also show that educational technology can support more interactive, flexible, and student-centred pedagogical approaches.
“In line with these findings, a study conducted by several lecturers from the UBD in 2015 found that students showed a positive reception to the use of technology in classrooms at primary schools in Brunei Darussalam. Technology was found to help improve the quality of learning, facilitate understanding of lesson content, and make the delivery of teaching more engaging and meaningful.”
The minister said, “In response to these findings, the MoE will continue to emphasise the use of technology to ensure that it is leveraged as an enabler to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the teaching process, thus improving student achievement. This effort is being implemented comprehensively through the strengthening of digital pedagogical practices, provision of quality digital learning resources (e-resources), and capacity-building of teachers through continuous training and support.
“Therefore, to monitor and assess the use of information technology in teaching and learning, the MoE of Brunei Darussalam, through the Department of School Development, uses national assessment mechanisms such as the Brunei Teacher Standards – Teacher Performance Appraisal (BTS-TPA) and the Whole School Evaluation (WSE). These assessements examine the effectiveness of teachers’ pedagogical practices, the level of student engagement in the learning process, and the impact on overall learning quality and achievement.” She said, “The BTS-TPA specifically evaluates the use of information technology through the integration of information and communications technology (ICT) in teaching pedagogy, including the effectiveness of teachers in utilising technology to enhance student engagement and learning. Meanwhile, the WSE assesses how schools plan, implement, and monitor the strategic use of technology to support the overall delivery of high-quality teaching and learning.
The findings from these assessments serve as key indicators to help the ministry evaluate the effectiveness of ICT usage in teaching and learning, identify support needs, and plan continuous improvement interventions at both the school level and within the broader education system.
(news source: Borneo Bulletin; pic source: Info Foto, Jabatan Penerangan)
