National Education System

There is no compulsory education in Brunei Darussalam but education is universal and free for all its citizens. Because of its emphasis on human resource development, a substantial allocation of the national budget is devoted to Brunei’s education system.

All citizens from the age of 5 years are offered free government schooling. Tuition, textbooks, food, transport where necessary and accommodation is hostels for students from rural areas are provided free to all pupils. Non citizens who attend government schools are changed a nominal fee for secondary tuition and the state also subsidizes a number of non government schools.

Further and higher education is provided for those who are academically eligible and pursuing relevant subject areas; in the light of the national need. Students are also sponsored by the state to study overseas if studies concerned are not available locally. However, especially since the attainment of independence, a number of tertiary institutions have been established to meet middle to high-level manpower requirements. There include Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and various technical and vocational institutions (TVE) of varying levels; Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB), Technical Colleges of Sultan Saiful Rijal Technical College and Jefri Bolkiah College of Engineering, Sinaut Agriculture Training Centre, Pengiran AnakPuteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah College of Nursing and Brunei Arts and Handicraft Training Centre.

The government of Brunei Darussalam views education as a continuing endeavour to develop the all-round potential of the individual. The system is designed to bring into being, an educated and dynamic citizenry whose virtues are complementary with the needs of the modern Islamic State.

All children entering the government school system at the age of 5, stay at the pre-school level for one year before proceeding to the first year of the primary school. They will stay at the Primary level for 6 years, (Primary 1 to Primary 6). At the end of the primary level, pupils are required to sit for a public examination, the Primary Certificate of Examination (PCE) before proceeding to the secondary level. The secondary level consists of 7-8 years (From 1 to Form 5 and 2 years of Pre-University secondary education). There are 3 public examinations in the secondary level. As follows there are:

The Brunei Junior Certificate of Education (BJCE) which is sat at the end of Form 3.
The Brunei Cambridge General Certificate of Education (BCGCE) ‘O’ levels which is usually sat at the end of Form 5.
The Brunei Cambridge Gernal Certificate of Education (BCGCE) ‘A’ levels which is usually sat at the end of Form 6.

As of 1995, in order to cater for different levels of learning abilities, students are streamed into 2 general categories, depending on their BJCE results. These who do well with continue to take the usual 2 years (Form 4 and From 5) before sitting for their BCGCE ‘O’ levels. For these who pass their BJCE but have only achieved a lower grade but wishes to complete secondary schooling, there is an alternative ‘N’ level route. ‘N’ level or ‘Normal’ level entitles a student to sit for the BCGCE ‘O’ levels if they pass the ‘N’ level exam which is a 2 year programme. Compared to the earlier category, students following the ‘N’ level will take a longer period; 3 years in total, before sitting for their BCGCE ‘O’ level. Whilst following the British system, both BCGCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels have been adapted toward the Bruneian context.

Not all students proceed to complete the secondary level. Also of recent introduction is the concept of vocational schooling which provides 2 years full-time education to students with Form 3 levels of attainment. Vocational schooling offers a comprehensive range of craft level programmes in modular form and it is designed to produce skilled graduates who can take up employment directly, or who wish to progress to higher craft or technical programs at TVE institutions.

In summary, at the end of Form 3, students have the following options:

To pursue 2/3 years upper secondary culminating in the BCGCE ‘O’ levels and having achieved adequate results to choose to complete their BCGCE ‘A’ levels which will make them eligible to pursue university or other high level TVE programmes.

To pursue TVE directly, from vocational schooling and if desired, to a TVE institution. The lower types of TVE institutions, so called ‘technical colleges’, other 1 or 2 year craft and other vocational courses producing the UK collaborated BTEC type of Ordinary National Certificates (ONC) and the higher level TVE institutions, include the Nursing college which awards a Diploma in Nursing, the Agricultural college for a National Diploma in Agriculture and ITB which is geared to producing BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) and Higher National Certificate (HNC) graduates.

The above information was extracted from

"A report on survey of Study Programmes and of Diplomas, Lao PDR Degrees and other Certificates granted by Higher Education Malaysia Institutions in Asia and the Pacific Part I by SEAMEO Myanmar RIHED".