Answer for Oral Question PL202

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Awang Zainol bin Haji Mohamed

Yang Berhormat Awang Zainol bin Haji Mohamed asked Yang Berhormat Menteri Hal Ehwal Ugama to state the Ministry’s approach to ensuring that the children of Brunei Darussalam citizens accompanying their parents on overseas assignments do not fall behind in religious education. Has the implementation of a learning system equivalent to religious schooling in the country, through digital platforms or other methods that would enable them to continue learning according to the national curriculum, ever been considered?

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Hal Ehwal Ugama

Yang Berhormat’s concern is well-founded. A child accompanying his or her parents on an overseas assignment should not lose access to religious education merely because they are far from home.

I wish to state the Ministry’s principle in this matter. Equivalence is measured against curriculum and assessment standards, not solely by the method of delivery.

A child overseas may learn through different methods and schedules. Therefore, what can reasonably be standardised is the curriculum and assessment standards, while the method of delivery and learning hours may be adapted to local circumstances.

Guided by this principle, citizens’ children overseas can access an aligned curriculum and materials and undertake coordinated assessments, subject to the prescribed implementation arrangements.

Assessment results are reported using the same standards, including the opportunity to sit for the Peperiksaan Sijil Sekolah-Sekolah Rendah Ugama (SSSRU) for students who fulfil the requirements. This is the form of equivalence that is intended.

To achieve this equivalence, the Ministry, through the Jabatan Pengajian Islam, provides support at 3 levels, in cooperation with the Embassies and High Commissions of Brunei Darussalam.

a. Equivalent learning materials, including textbooks and digital learning materials aligned with the religious school curriculum in Brunei Darussalam.

b. Equivalent assessment and evaluation, whereby students sit for tests and examinations coordinated according to the standards of the Jabatan Pengajian Islam. Answer scripts are marked by teachers from the Jabatan Pengajian Islam to ensure consistency in assessment and academic achievement.

c. The opportunity to sit for public religious examinations, including the Peperiksaan Sijil Sekolah-Sekolah Rendah Ugama (SSSRU), as undertaken by students in the country.

Based on the latest reporting data for 2026, a total of 30 students in nine (09) countries are currently undertaking religious education based on the prescribed curriculum, to ensure the continuity of their religious education despite being overseas.

The implementation of the religious education is adapted to the circumstances, needs and capabilities of each country. Among the initiatives implemented is consultation between parents and teachers who are prepared to provide learning services online. The subsequent learning schedule is established based on suitability and mutual agreement among the teachers, parents and students, making use of the digital platforms provided. This approach provides flexibility in implementing the learning, particularly in accommodating differences in time zones and the locations of students residing in different countries.

At the same time, the need for online religious learning services has also created opportunities for religious education service providers to expand their services through digital platforms. This development is an added value in expanding access to religious education, particularly for Brunei’s children overseas, while complementing the Government’s efforts to ensure that religious education can continue to be pursued without being constrained by location and distance.

Yang Berhormat asked whether the implementation of a learning system fully equivalent to religious schooling in the country, through digital platforms or other methods, had ever been considered.

At present, the Ministry provides a coordinated curriculum, materials and assessment. It is not a full-time virtual religious school.

This approach takes into account that the children concerned are already attending school full-time in the countries where their parents are posted. Religious education is an addition to their daily schedules. Therefore, the learning burden and differences in time zones need to be managed reasonably.

Nevertheless, the Ministry welcomes Yang Berhormat’s proposal. Today’s technological developments provide greater opportunities than they did several years ago, and more interactive delivery methods may be considered without placing an undue burden on students.

In this regard, the Ministry, through the Jabatan Pengajian Islam, will examine the capacity to strengthen the online teaching component, particularly for students in countries with a limited number of Brunei students and without access to religious learning groups or sufficient religious education support.

In conclusion, a child who is far from home remains a Brunei child. Our responsibility for their religious education does not diminish because of distance.

The Ministry also appreciates the strong commitment of the parents and guardians of students who continue to wish for their children to pursue religious education, ensuring that the children are not only equipped with academic knowledge and skills but are also educated and equipped with religious knowledge so that they become knowledgeable individuals of noble character.