Answer for Oral Question PL043

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Awang Zainol bin Haji Mohamed

YANG BERHORMAT AWANG ZAINOL BIN HAJI MOHAMED asked the MINISTER OF EDUCATION to state the reasons why some students remain weak in mastering basic learning skills at the early stage of schooling, including literacy, numeracy and comprehension. What reforms have been implemented to ensure that the foundations of education are strengthened before students progress to the next level?

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Pendidikan

Alhamdulillah, with reference to the analysis of the Student Learning Survey (SLS) psychometric assessment for the period from 2022 to 2024, students’ performance in the English language literacy domain showed very encouraging achievement, with the percentage of students achieving the minimum mastery level at each year level being 95% or above.

Nevertheless, analysis of the same data also showed that challenges remain in numeracy, with some students yet to achieve a level of mathematical competence commensurate with their age and level of schooling. This is indeed a priority for the Ministry of Education. At present, no recent study has been conducted in Negara Brunei Darussalam on the reasons why this occurs. However, as this is also a global issue faced by education systems in other countries, we may refer generally to the findings of several related studies. This matter commonly stems from several factors, such as differences in students’ level of learning readiness upon entering school, gaps in the mastery of basic mathematical concepts at the early stage, as well as the need to strengthen pedagogical approaches that place greater focus on conceptual understanding. In addition to the mastery of basic skills, negative attitudes towards Mathematics and Mathematics anxiety have also been identified as factors that may influence students’ confidence and achievement in the subject.

In this regard, the Ministry of Education has implemented several measures to strengthen students’ learning foundations. These include:

i. The implementation of Renaissance Mathematics, which emphasises the mastery of basic concepts and problem-solving skills from the primary school level;

ii. A curriculum review to ensure that the sequencing and continuity of the learning syllabus at the early stage focus on basic literacy and numeracy skills before students learn more complex topics;

iii. The introduction of revised mathematics textbooks aligned with regional best practices, including the Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract approach to help students develop their understanding in a more systematic manner;

iv. The implementation of an intervention, namely the Program Learning Support, which provides additional support to students to strengthen their mastery of basic skills; and

v. Assessment findings, such as those from the Student Learning Survey (SLS), are also used to identify learning gaps at an earlier stage and implement appropriate support interventions.

Through these measures, the Ministry of Education will continue its efforts to ensure that students’ literacy and numeracy foundations are strengthened so that they are better prepared for subsequent learning.

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