DAY 8 AFTERNOON
13TH MARCH 2023 - AFTERNOON
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(The parliamentary session resumed at 2.30 pm)
PARLIAMENTARY SESSION
Your Honorable Speaker
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh. The National Parliamentary Assembly is reconvened this afternoon. In order for us to examine and discuss the topics contained in this Bill, I adjourn the National Parliamentary Assembly and we will reconvene at the Committee level.
Your Honorable Speaker
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Honorable Members. The meeting is now fully convened at the Committee level to consider the 2023 Bill, Supply 2023/2024, one by one. The Committee meeting is still discussing the Ministry of Education and its institutions for the Financial Year 2023/2024.
With me, there is still a list of Honorable Members who wish to participate in discussing this Ministry of Education topic.
Before we move on to the Honorable Members on my list, I now give the opportunity to the Honorable Minister of Education to answer the questions raised by the Honorable Members before we took a break earlier today.
I invite the Honorable Minister of Education.
Your Honorable Minister of Education
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
I would like to refer to the questions and suggestions raised by the Honorable Dayang Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abd Salam. Thank you for the comments and suggestions on the termination of the contract for Local Contract Teachers (LCT) starting in January 2024.
For your information, the original purpose of the establishment of LCT was to accommodate the temporary needs of teachers in schools through contractual employment. As for the proposal to provide permanent positions to LCT participants, the Ministry is still bound by the recruitment procedures through the Public Service Commission (SPA) to ensure fairness, justice, and transparency in the recruitment process for public service.
However, based on their experience teaching as LCT, it is hoped that this will be an advantage for them to apply for positions in the public service.
Regarding the second question, the issue of workload. Matters related to the welfare of teachers and the effectiveness of existing platforms under the Ministry of Education have been raised.
Alhamdulillah, the Ministry of Education has provided various platforms to provide opportunities for teachers to share and voice their welfare through online and various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and through the Ministry of Education's special website platform for teachers and school leaders, namely the Teachers' Lounge and School Leaders' Lounge.
It is the Ministry's hope that teachers who use these provided platforms will use them to the best of their ability and the Ministry is pleased to request the trust and confidence of teachers that all complaints will be taken into account and action will be taken by qualified and authorized officers while ensuring confidentiality will be maintained.
At the same time, I hope that Your Honorable Members will also be able to advise the teachers concerned to use the available platforms and further hope for cooperation from Your Honorable Members to inform the Ministry of Education directly of any complaints received. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Thank you, Your Honorable Minister of Education. Now, I would like to invite Your Honorable Dayang Hajah Rosmawatty binti Haji Abdul Mumin.
Your Honorable Dayang Hajah Rosmawatty binti Haji Abdul Mumin
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. I have two questions regarding Topic SF06A - Brunei Technical Education Institute. Referring to the discussion session with the Ministry of Education, the employment rate of IBTE in 2019 was 54.8%. It then increased to 62.6% in 2020 and further increased to 74.8% in 2021.
This is the highest percentage compared to other institutions such as Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Universiti Teknikal Brunei, and Politeknik Brunei. Therefore, IBTE is one of the top choices for O-level graduates in the country. With the increase in the number of students entering IBTE, it is important and highly expected that the Ministry of Education ensures the quality of course delivery or programs at this Technical Education Institution at the highest level.
The infrastructure of conducive and appropriate learning places and all equipment facilities are sufficient and suitable for the level of adequate teaching staff. It is understood that there are still shortcomings in all three of these matters.
My questions are:
Has the Ministry of Education made sufficient provisions to address all three of these issues to enable IBTE to achieve excellent performance?;
Referring to the statement by Your Honorable Awang Haji Mohamad Danial @ Tekpin bin Ya'akub, regarding the Centre for British Teachers (CFBT) teachers. May I add some related questions:
- What is the allocation for the Financial Year 2023/2024 made by the Ministry of Education to recruit teaching staff from CFBT?
Kaola requests clarification on whether the Ministry of Education has plans to replace these CFBT teachers with local teachers, taking into account that some of them have the same abilities in this field.
After more than 35 years of the Ministry of Education recruiting teaching staff from CFBT, kaola would like to know if any assessment has been made regarding the performance of these teaching staff and the achievements of their students? Does the Ministry have an exit strategy for these CFBT teaching staff?
That's all, thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Menteri Pendidikan
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. May I answer the question regarding CFBT first? What is the allocation for the Financial Year 2023/2024 for CFBT Teachers, which is B$27,600,000.00.
Regarding whether an assessment has been made on CFBT teachers as I mentioned earlier this morning about the achievement of our students in the GCE 'O' Level, where the number of students who obtained credits reached up to 73.57% in 2021, and why we are still taking CFBT, let me share a little more information.
As mentioned during the opening session last Saturday, the Ministry of Education has not yet achieved one of the National KPI targets, which is the achievement of Year 1 and Year 3, and at least reaching the minimum standard of 5 literacy because it is still very low.
In 2020, only 45% of Year 1 students and 53% of Year 3 students achieved the minimum national literacy standard. This is why priority is still given to providing sufficient English language teachers for our students.
The Exit Strategy for the total number of local and non-local English language teachers teaching in primary and secondary schools and in sixth form centers is currently 940, and of that number, 21% are CFBT teachers, which translates to a ratio of 20/80 CFBT teachers compared to local teachers.
The Ministry believes that the combination and cooperation between local and non-local English language teachers will further improve the quality of teaching and learning in English literacy.
Is there an Exit Strategy? The answer is yes. If we look at the number of CFBT teachers from 2015 to 2022, there has been a decrease of about 24% since 2015. One of the efforts of the Ministry of Education is to recruit native speaker teachers to teach English in the Ministry of Education.
However, the Ministry of Education still faces challenges in terms of capacity and ability, and when the cost of the process is calculated, it is better to recruit through agent recruitment.
The first question earlier was about IBTE, where the enrollment is increasing, and whether there are provisions for improving the quality and infrastructure of IBTE? The answer is also yes. Every year, a large allocation is located to upgrade the quality of IBTE infrastructure, and it should also be noted here that IBTE is a technical and vocational institution and it does use a lot of budget or allocation to sustain all the programs.
For example, if the core education is for one year, the average number of our students is 3 to 4 thousand, but for technical education, it can be up to tens of thousands per student. So, it is undeniable that there is a lot of allocation for education in IBTE.
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
I would like to invite Your Honorable Dr. Awang Haji Mahali bin Haji Momin.
Your Honorable Dr. Awang Haji Mahali bin Haji Momin
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Peace be upon you. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, for allowing me to participate in discussing and deliberating on the allocation of the Ministry of Education this afternoon.
Before that, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to the Honorable Minister of Education for sharing the efforts, initiatives, and achievements of the Ministry of Education. Congratulations to the Honorable Minister and the education community for the success that has been achieved. Your Honorable Speaker, I am pleased to refer to the main performance related to the targets from 2023 to 2026 regarding numeracy and literacy. There is also a dimension related to numeracy and literacy in Years 1 and 3 in this target, which is only 80%.
Based on my calculation, if there are 5,000 students, 100 students will be left behind in literacy and numeracy when they enter Year 4. This means that they will not be able to read and count. This is a significant number, so how can students continue their studies in Year 4 if they do not master numeracy and literacy? Numeracy and literacy skills are not only necessary to continue to the next level but also basic needs in life. We are aware that we want students to master science, technology, engineering, and mathematics so that our country can develop.
How can we achieve the goal of making this country advanced if some of them are left behind early? I am pleased to suggest that the Ministry take action to address this dropout by monitoring these students and finding special teaching and learning methods to reduce the dropout rate that I mentioned earlier by utilizing existing experts with the latest approach.
Next, Your Honorable Speaker. I do agree that the whole school evaluation or assessment approach is an excellent initiative because it involves approaches such as integrated learning, cooperative learning, collaborative learning, discovery learning, and whole school evaluation or assessment, which are more accurate, authentic, and can produce creative students.
Question: Why is the percentage target estimate for the years 2023 to 2026 stagnant at 46.3%, while the achievement has shown an increase of 58.2% in 2021/2022?
I suggest that the Ministry of Education targets a higher percentage than what has been achieved before.
Next, Your Honorable Speaker, regarding technical and vocational education. In the past, technical and vocational education was the last option for students, but this situation has changed where many students choose this field and parents prefer to send and encourage their children to enter it because it is easier to get a job after graduation.
However, despite the increasing interest of students in technical and vocational education, there has been no increase in the development of these schools.
As reported by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and the Minister of Finance and Economy II, last year there was an agreement signed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei with Amarco Group Sendirian Berhad for the management and operation of Brunei Base Consultant and Courage and also Anson International Sendirian Berhad, a joint venture company for strategic development.
This is good news as it provides job opportunities for local children, especially students who take marine engineering courses at IBTE Kuala Belait. Due to the increasing demand for technical and vocational courses, as well as the needs of the industry, I suggest that these schools be expanded and for existing schools, their facilities should be improved with the latest equipment.
As the Tutong District and Temburong District do not yet have technical and vocational schools, I suggest that they be built in both districts.
Next, Your Honorable Speaker. Regarding the Master in Educational Management program that was once offered at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
I myself have participated in this program as a part-time student and have been involved in teaching it as a lecturer. Some officials, either in schools or in the ministry, have benefited from this program and some students who have graduated from this program have been accepted into PhD programs at reputable universities abroad and have succeeded.
This program provides knowledge and skills for officials and school leaders in education management and administration, but unfortunately, this program is no longer being run.
I am pleased to suggest that this course be offered again at SHIBE. I understand that a special program has been provided for officials and school leaders, the Academy of Leaders, established by the Ministry of Education, but this program is more focused on skills and competencies.
This is a good program, but those who have succeeded in this program cannot continue to a higher level such as a PhD, either domestically or abroad. So how do we achieve the mission of having a highly educated and highly skilled population if programs like this are discontinued?
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. May Allah grant us success and guidance. Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah.
Your Honorable Minister of Education
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, and also thank you to Your Honorable Dr. Awang Haji Mahali bin Haji Momin. There are several questions there. Hopefully, what I can answer is straightforward.
Regarding the first one, the KPI target, and I would like to convey that this question is very interesting because the answer to this question is not solely in the hands of teachers or the Ministry of Education, but it is a shared problem.
After several years, we set a target for the minimum competency level percentage for our students in literacy and numeracy, but we still have not been able to achieve that target.
Perhaps there are many factors besides student attendance at school, lack of confidence that their fate will not change, and so on. What I am conveying is actually a new finding analyzed by the Ministry of Education that some of our students have a fixed mindset that going to school will not change their lives.
Actually, the Ministry of Education takes the opportunity for us to see together why this problem still occurs despite whatever we have done to encourage students to come to school and provide the best professional development to our teachers. The competency level is still lower than what we expected. We will target 80% because if we target higher than that, it will be far from our trendline, and it may be difficult to achieve.
If we target 80%, most likely because we have made it from the beginning until today, the trendline is not far from the target. Therefore, God willing, if we all strive at the school level, community level, constituent level, and any other parties, God willing, we will achieve the National KPI target, goal one, 1.3% of year 1 students and at least 3 students are at the minimum standard level of literacy and numeracy.
The second one is WSE. WSE is a comprehensive school assessment process carried out by the Department of School Education and aims to assess the quality of government schools' education and its provision comprehensively, taking into account four main domains:
- Leadership and management;
- Learning and teaching;
- ETOS and environment; and
- Student learning outcomes.
The quality of each domain is evaluated according to the level descriptions set in the WSE assessment. The Department of School Education will assess schools using specific rubrics to identify the school's performance against the aforementioned domains. The percentage will be sent to the Ministry of Education, where they will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the schools. For example, if a school only achieves a score of 2.3 in teaching and learning, we know that there is a problem with teaching and learning in that school. If there are problems with leadership and management, it can reflect on what the school leaders have done. It is done comprehensively, and we will not only look at the average score of the WSE assessment but also the score of each domain in the WSE assessment.
Regarding IBTE, it is true that IBTE is no longer the same as before. More and more students are interested in joining the IBTE program because the curriculum is now informed by the industry.
We collaborate with the industry through the Manpower Industry Steering Committee (MISC) in various fields and disciplines. We share what competencies are required by the industry, and as a reflection, it must be taught in the curriculum. Every time we receive such information, IBTE will review the offered curricula.
As for the Marine program, it is offered at the Brunei Maritime Academy at the IBTE Jefri Bolkiah Campus, and the number of students is relatively small. To pass the programs related to Marine, they need to clock sea time, and to clock sea time, they must be on a ship. If the industry only provides a small space, it means that only a small number of students can be offered. We have Diploma in Marine Engineering, Diploma in Nautical Studies, and Diploma in Nautical Studies Programme.
These are our challenges, and we will continue to collaborate with the industry related to Marine to determine their needs. If there is a high demand, we hope that the industry will provide more space for students to clock sea time on their ships.
Regarding the programs. Your Honorable Speaker, I apologize that I did not hear clearly earlier.
Are there any programs related to education management offered by SHBIE in the past?
Your Honorable Dr. Awang Haji Mahali bin Haji Momin
Your Honorable Speaker. Previously, the Masters in Educational Management program was offered at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam for school leaders and officials in the Ministry of Education. However, it is understood that the program has been discontinued and why?
Your Honorable Speaker
Does Your Honorable mean the Leadership Program? The Leadership Program that was previously managed by UBD.
Your Honorable Minister of Education
Regarding SHBIE, allow me to share a little. I remember in the academic year 2009/2010, SHBIE offered a bachelor's degree program for in-service teachers and newly graduated ‘A’ Level candidates. For in-service teachers, they could continue their studies to obtain a bachelor's degree in 3 programs:
B.Ed. in Primary Education Module, which is done part-time. They can do it after work or during weekends;
BA. Primary Education in Malay language with 5 specializations such as Malay Language Education, Early Childhood Education, Art, Physical Education, and Special Education; and
B.Ed. Primary Education (English Medium) in the fields of Science and Mathematics and Teaching English as a Second Language.
After SHBIE was upgraded to a graduate school, these in-service programs were discontinued. For those interested in raising their qualifications, they can follow programs in other faculties at Universiti Brunei Darussalam or at any local and foreign universities. As for the Masters in Educational Management (MEM) and PhD Education Management (PEM) programs, both programs are still being offered.
However, recently, there has been low demand and SHBIE has also lost several lecturers, especially those who can teach certain modules in both programs. To ensure the sustainability of these programs, the number of applicants will be reviewed and SHBIE needs an increase in the number of applicants.
At the moment, the demand is very low and if the demand is high, SHBIE intends to rehire lecturers who can teach MEM or PEM. When qualified, they can apply for these degree, bachelor's, and specialization programs. This means that MEM and PEM are still being offered at SHBIE, they are not on the shelf. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Mr. Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin.
Your Honorable Mr. Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members.
Before that, I would like to thank the Minister of Education for the explanation and information regarding the development and achievements of the Ministry of Education.
Firstly, let me express my gratitude to all members of the Ministry of Education for their services, sacrifices, and efforts in educating our nation's children to become wise, intelligent, and useful citizens in achieving Brunei Vision 2035.
To be honest, as a former child from an underprivileged family, I am grateful for the guidance and care of teachers and early awareness of the importance of education as a ticket out of poverty.
Alhamdulillah, I am thankful for the opportunities given to me and hope that all our children are given the same opportunities. Words of thanks are not enough to remember your sacrifices, only prayers and blessings that I can offer to Allah SWT for His mercy, guidance, success, and pleasure to all educators and staff at the Ministry of Education.
O Lord of the Worlds, my prayer is that some issues will be discussed and some suggestions that I would like to present for the consideration of the Honorable Minister.
Please share the results and analysis of the data. I understand that the Ministry of Education has conducted in-depth analysis for every examination, especially for public exams. However, the analysis, performance, and action plans are no longer shared and given to the public. Most of the results and analysis conducted are only known within the ministry for internal use only. It seems that the problems or issues of schooling and learning are exclusive to ministry members and can only be solved within the ministry.
Therefore, I would like to suggest:
Applying the Whole of Nation Approach in addressing educational issues, involving participation from the public or community groups, individuals from every agency outside the ministry and government, providing independent analysis of data, inviting feedback and alternative viewpoints, and inviting them to co-create solutions together regarding the issues faced.
At the same time, providing and publishing key findings from the analysis made on examination results and sharing action plans for the way forward so that the public, especially parents and guardians, are aware and understand the problems and challenges that will be faced together.
There are no children under 18 years old left behind, that is the target. Every year, 5 to 6 thousand of our 15-year-old children take the 'O' Level examination. So far, 30-40% of those who obtain 5 'O' Levels or more are eligible to enter 'A' Level or any institution of their choice, academic or vocational. 1000 or 2000 will go directly to IBTE or Polytechnic because of limited space. 1000 may repeat or take short TVET skill courses and others in 1000 to 1500 who are 15 years old are unemployed.
There is no place to study because they do not have the qualifications or there is no place because it is full or there is no interest in the courses offered. But they are too young to work. Every year, this scenario will repeat with an additional 1000 to 1500 of our 15-year-old children becoming unemployed.
What has the ministry done to ensure that 100% of our students are known where they are after their 'O' Level results and alarm bells will ring, and Kaola does not know where (somewhere) to show the names of our children under 18 years old who are left behind, there is no place to study to find or to be trained for work and where are these less fortunate children monitored, observed so that they do not fall within the cracks and become a social time bomb in the future. Allow Kaola to continue with some further questions and suggestions.
School infrastructure. Kaola suggests that school infrastructure such as halls, fields be opened to the community as before and the proceeds from renting the infrastructure will be used by the Parents Teachers Association to carry out projects to help less privileged students.
The rental terms should include security guards assigned outside of school hours to ensure the safety of the school so that it is not disturbed by the public when they use the infrastructure.
Similarly, what is the direction of the School of Sports? Is there a plan to collaborate with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and national sports agencies to advance the country's sports?
IBTE and vocational schools are assisted with equipment and competent teachers recognized by the industry. Continuing what was said by the Honorable Dayang Hajah Rosmawatty binti Haji Abdul Mumin and the Minister of Education also remembers that we were involved in completing the curriculum that was implemented at IBTE, a curriculum which is competency-based education and its graduates have been proven to be industry-ready.
The effectiveness of IBTE graduates, Polytechnic Brunei getting jobs after graduation is because many of these courses followed have been tailored to input and participation from industry experts and some are competency-based. The effectiveness of these competency-based programs requires students, teachers who have experience in the industry and teaching the subjects taught and also requires tools and learning aids to realize learning applications in the classroom.
Your Honorable suggests that industry-accredited technically-competent persons who do not possess academic qualifications be employed as instructors in IBTE or Polytechnics while waiting for qualified instructors to gain experience in their respective industries. However, they should invest in providing suitable learning aids to ensure that classroom learning is more realistic and not solely based on visual aids.
The second question is regarding the KPI of universities. I would like to request clarification on whether the Ministry of Education is also responsible for monitoring and ensuring the quality of private higher education institutions.
Your Honorable proposes that the performance of private education institutions be reported together with the Key Performance Indicators of government institutions, as some of our students receive scholarships to study in private higher education institutions. What is the effectiveness and direction of providing quality education in the country?
Your Honorable, the second question is regarding the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of universities. I would like to request clarification on whether the Ministry of Education is also responsible for monitoring and ensuring quality assurance of private higher education institutions. It is suggested that the performance of private educational institutions can be reported together with the Key Performance Indicators of government institutions, as some of our students receive scholarships to study in private higher education institutions. What is the effectiveness and direction of providing quality education in the country?
Lastly, the most sensitive issue is the PISA results as an indicator of the Wawasan Brunei 2035 goal number one. Your Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy, in response to the KPI of Wawasan Brunei 2035, stated that the success of Brunei in PISA is a measure of the delivery of the first goal in society.
Your Honorable, may I ask if this indicator is sufficient? Are there any other enablers or results indicators that need to be monitored to ensure that we are currently on track to achieve this number one goal, and what audit verification process is required?
Your Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy mentioned PISA, and I googled what PISA is and what the results are for Brunei, and the results are not encouraging. PISA Results Programme International Student Assessment assesses 15-year-old students (students who take 'O' Levels). In Reading, Maths, and Science, all of which are below average for our under-15 students.
School Climate, Brunei ranked one of the lowest, 75 out of 75. Student wellbeing, student life satisfaction, one of the lowest, 69 out of 70. The largest student population feeling sad, our kids in school, ranked number one. The saddest students, the largest student population ranked number one. Students ranked in fourth with the strongest fear of failure. The most disappointing, bullying. Reported that more than 50% of our children aged 15 and below reported are builled more than three times per month in the school.
Student global competency, awareness of global issues. Despite having the highest internet penetration, our students’ global awareness of global issues ranked the lowest, 64 out of 64. Cognitive ability, the lowest 64 out of 66 and relative performance on the global competency test, one of the lowest, in fact, minus PISA score points, we are ranked nombor 23 dari 26.
As for the questions raised by Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin, regarding the PISA 2018 results, as educators, we need to take a deep analysis of the findings to understand what is being shown. While we do not have the details of the report, as an educator, kaola would give a grade of D or E, not because of the results, but because of the efforts.
We have three options. Firstly, we can reject the results outright as not representative and not follow the PISA results as it may give the wrong impression. Secondly, we can look for an independent assessment tool that we think is more suitable as a measure, or when we take the findings as a gift, it is what it is, and use the results as a baseline.
We apologize if kaola's emotions were too much, but the issue of our children, especially those who are 15 years old and below, who are the future of our country, is quite sensitive and requires attention.
Thank you, Your Honorable Chairman.
Your Honorable Menteri Pendidikan
Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin has given several questions, if I am not mistaken, seven questions. Thank you very much for these questions, they are good questions and God willing, I will try to answer them.
The first question is about sharing the results and analysis of data and suggestions for disseminating and publishing the main findings or results of the analysis to the public, especially parents.
This first question is very interesting as it touches on the practice of data sharing. As we all know, data is information before any decision is made.
Therefore, data sharing can stimulate positive development. At the same time, sometimes data sharing can pose risks, so it is appropriate to assess the level of these risks first.
Regarding examination data, the Ministry of Education has conducted a deep analysis or in-depth study of these results. If the assessment is made at the school level, teachers use this analysis as information to improve teaching methods. This practice is a priority of the Ministry of Education, something we often hear referred to as school-based assessment.
For public examinations, such as the Primary School Assessment (PSR), GCE 'O' Level and 'A' Level, the data is more comprehensive, as it takes into account the performance of all students at the national level. Therefore, data translation is strategic. The Ministry of Education will analyze from various aspects to find significant findings, whether they are descriptive or inferential, such as correlation and so on, and an example is the comparison of achievements from the previous year.
Indirectly, we can already predict or compare those achievements with the results of previous years, meaning that the analysis of overall student performance is shared.
The Ministry of Education also analyzes student performance at the school level. However, data translation at the school level will be made in controlled contexts such as taking into account the student population, school location, and so on, and data sharing without context can lead to various interpretations.
The Ministry of Education, through schools, does share data, for example, sharing with the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG), where some parents have provided motivational workshops for students and some have donated food and drinks during extra classes.
And on this occasion, I, representing the Ministry of Education, would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to those who have been involved in this initiative and it is greatly appreciated.
The proposal to open up examination performance to the public, especially to parents, is very good. However, it is only suitable to share data from each school.
Sharing data from each school to the public is not a common practice and it is also not a common practice internationally because the interpretation of the data can lead to various implications. For example, the selection of admission to government schools in our country is based on zones and not choice.
Ranking or position of schools based on performance is also not necessarily an accurate representation of the quality of the school. This is because there are other factors that can also affect school performance such as student background, socio-economic status, student ratio, and so on.
In fact, the ban on sharing school performance results is practiced by the OECD or The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which also organizes PISA, as mentioned by Your Honorable earlier. So it is appropriate for us to use it as a reference.
It is also shared that there is a well-known website that used to share school data since 2010 but recently, in 2020, has eliminated direct comparison between schools with the reason that the impact of sharing can bring harm to the morale of staff and the well-being of students.
In this regard, the Ministry of Education in general and schools in particular warmly welcome the cooperation of the public, especially parents, to continue to improve the achievement of their students and children.
How to do this? Keep in touch with the school where their child is and God willing, their child's data will be shared.
Regarding children under 18 who are left behind, the Department of Planning, Research and Development has already tracked all post-secondary students who have passed the 'O' level since 2018. It tracks where they study after 'O' level, whether they continue to 'A' level or follow programs at the Brunei Technical Education Institute (IBTE), Brunei Polytechnic (PB) or continue their studies at public institutions.
Based on the study shared here, it was found that on average, about 60% to 65% will continue their education to a higher level in the following year.
Meanwhile, about 10% generally will secure employment using their 'O' level qualifications and the remaining 20%-25% are categorized as needs or not in employment education and training, for which the Ministry of Education has initiated several initiatives to further expand access to post-secondary education to provide opportunities for them to enhance the knowledge and skills required in seeking quality employment.
These include:
Public TVET institutions or Brunei Polytechnic (PB) and IBTE have offered at least two intakes per year, meaning that more 'O' level graduates can apply to Brunei Polytechnic (PB) or IBTE.
Since 2018, the government through the Ministry of Education has also provided a scholarship scheme for secondary school graduates, namely the Technical and Vocational Education Scholarship Scheme (PBTV) for students who are less able to continue their studies in private institutions.
Starting this year, a Human Capital Development scheme through TVET Education in private higher education institutions or TVET schemes has also been introduced to help secondary school graduates, especially those who only obtained 0 to 3 'O' levels, to be given industry training and exposure before entering the workforce. It is actually almost the same as the PBTV scholarship, which is also 0 to 3 'O' levels, but for the TVET scheme, if they pass one level, they will exit and apply for a job, and if they want to enter the TVET scheme again, they can reapply, unlike the technical education scholarship, which can be continued, that is for students from less privileged backgrounds.
For those who wish to retake the 'O' level or 'A' level exams, the Ministry of Education through the Lifelong Learning Centre or L-Cube also offers academic improvement programs on evenings or weekends to provide a second chance for them to improve their results.
The Lifelong Learning Centre also offers workforce development programs, community development programs, and personal development programs through collaboration with Lifelong Learning Centre providers and government agencies to enable the public, among others, to upskill or reskill their existing skills.
Regarding the proposal to open school facilities to the community, it is with pleasure to inform that the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has allowed the Treasury Department to implement the Facilities Rental System (FRS) project through private-public partnership with Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru). The project started in September 2016 and involves several school halls and fields.
However, the public has faced some issues when making reservations through the Facilities Rental System, and it has been temporarily closed since July 25, 2022. The public who wish to rent school facilities such as halls and fields can submit their applications manually by visiting the schools they wish to use. The rental income will be included in the government revenue, and the Ministry of Finance and Economy has suggested using FRS for managing government assets rental income. All rental income received by the government can be applied for the repair and maintenance of the rented facilities by the Treasury Department. As for the proposal to collect revenue through the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), it is deemed unsuitable at this time due to the minimal amount of revenue collected.
I would like to continue answering the fourth question regarding the Sports School. Previously, the Sports School only focused on admitting students who excel in sports. However, since 2018, the Sports School has introduced two streams, namely the academic stream for students who reside in the Sports School area and the sports stream for students who show potential in sports.
The objective of introducing these two streams is to maximize the use of the facilities available in the Sports School. The number of students in the Sports School has increased since the introduction of these two streams.
After the introduction, Alhamdulillah, from the aspect of academic achievement, the percentage of students who obtained 5 'O'-Level credits and above has increased. In 2019, only 9% of students obtained 5 'O'-Level credits, but in 2022, it has increased to 33%.
For the fifth question regarding IBTE, I apologize, Your Honorable Chair.
Your Honorable Chair
Before that, the Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy would like to explain why PISA was chosen as a measure to determine our achievement in facing Wawasan Brunei 2035.
Your Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and Minister of Finance and Economy II
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. The question posed by Your Honorable is regarding our measurement for Goal 1 in Wawasan Brunei 2035.
Whether PISA is a suitable measurement or not, this matter is always being researched for the manpower blueprint that will be completed in the near future. From the discussions in the committee, one matter will be further studied to add to other indices, إن شاء الله it will be reviewed again and added if necessary, إن شاء الله. Thank you.
Your Honorable Speaker
Please proceed, Your Honorable.
Your Honorable Minister of Education
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. If I may continue regarding the alignment of KPIs for higher education institutions. The Ministry of Education welcomes the suggestion and at the same time, technical and higher education institutions have different focuses such as IBTE and PB do not conduct research. Therefore, research KPIs cannot be proposed for IBTE and PB.
For Your Honorable's information, the Ministry of Education is also responsible for several national-level KPIs to be used by the Wawasan Office that are aligned for all public and private higher education institutions.
Before I touch on PISA, I would like to address IBTE's initiatives in addressing the challenges of teaching and learning equipment and tools. Indeed, teaching and learning at IBTE is competency-based, requiring a hands-on learning approach where IBTE programs contain 70% practical components.
For this purpose, equipment and tools that are in line with industry standards for teaching and learning are very much needed to ensure that IBTE students are equipped with the necessary competencies and skill sets required by the industry. To address the challenges in providing teaching and learning equipment and tools, several initiatives have been taken by IBTE:
Supply of necessary equipment and tools using the annual allocation provided and sponsorship from related industries, such as sponsorship of mini plant facilities, supply of equipment and tools for centers of excellence in mechanical engineering, and so on;
Using facilities in the industry through job placements or industrial attachments and on-the-job training for IBTE students. IBTE's initiative in addressing the challenge of teaching staff who have industrial skills, to ensure that teaching and learning at IBTE is in line with industry needs, requires highly skilled and experienced teaching staff in tasks carried out in the industry, especially practical and hands-on experience.
To address this challenge, IBTE has implemented several initiatives. Firstly, IBTE has recruited industry experts as adjunct lecturers. This will help IBTE develop students' skills to prepare them for the real world of work, and students can benefit from teachers or experts who have industry experience and skills. IBTE also plans to encourage its lecturers to undergo placement training to gain industrial experience, enabling them to keep up with industry developments and acquire skills that can be applied in teaching.
Regarding the lengthy discussion on the PISA results earlier and whether these results will be used as an indicator for Wawasan Brunei 2035 for Goal 1, as stated by Your Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy, the use of PISA results as an indicator will be proposed and reviewed further.
What is PISA? I would like to take this opportunity to briefly explain PISA. PISA stands for Program for International Student Assessment, which Brunei Darussalam participated in for the first time in 2018, and the results were released in 2019. It is an assessment conducted once every 3 years, and last year Brunei Darussalam once again implemented the main PISA study, and God willing, the results will be released this year.
In 2018, a total of 6,828 Brunei Darussalam students participated, not randomly or through sampling like other countries, but we used the National Census because our student population is less than 7,000, so it is manageable. All 15-year-old students took part in the assessment.
Our ranking or score for reading was 408 compared to the overall average of 453. It is indeed below the overall average. In fact, our scores in Reading, Mathematics, and Science are below the overall average.
However, in 2016, we participated in PBTS or PISA Best Test for School, which used PISA items, just like PISA. But what is interesting is that when we took the assessment, our scores were much lower. After participating in PBTS, we finally knew where our actual achievements were, and from there we opened our eyes to introduce more strategic initiatives in teaching, and as a result, our score in PISA 2018 was much higher than in PBTS 2016.
Praise be to Allah. There are benefits to why we participate in PISA. Even if the results may not be pleasing now, at least we have moved away from the situation where we were more unstable in the past.
The question is whether PISA can be used as an indicator for Wawasan Brunei 2035. This matter is still under discussion. However, it can be used as a target in our KPI to achieve Goal 1 of Wawasan Brunei 2035. For example, if we include it in our KPI, we will face a situation where the implementation cycle of PISA is once every 3 years and in 2025 it will change to once every 4 years.
It is likely that monitoring our scores will be slow to obtain or any achievements we introduce may be slow to evaluate whether the strategy is effective or not, due to the cycle of PISA not being every year.
However, it can still be considered for the long term and can also be used as a KPI, but we will be assisted with other KPIs because PISA is actually an application.
I would like to take this opportunity to answer some questions. There are many questions as to why our students take the 'O' level and at the same time take the PISA assessment. The 'O' level is an exam to assess their level of knowledge, their content knowledge in certain subject matters.
While PISA is an application to that knowledge or content knowledge. The application type, what they learn in school about content, PISA will ask how to apply those content questions.
Regarding KPI, perhaps Your Honorable already knows what KPI is assigned to the Ministry of Education for Goal 1. The Ministry of Education owns 6 National KPIs, namely:
Percentage of qualified and high-quality teachers.
Percentage of educational institutions that meet the minimum school standards.
Percentage of Year 1 and Year 3 students who are at least at the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy.
Percentage of passes in BGCE 'O' Level with 5 credits or equivalent.
Admission rate to post-secondary education.
Graduation rate for higher education and technical and vocational education.
There are several KPIs that we have achieved, therefore it is appropriate to follow the suggestion of Your Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy to review and add to the KPIs so that we can stimulate any strategies that can bring us to achieve Goal 1 of Wawasan Brunei 2035. Perhaps using PISA can also be considered, even though the results are not every year, but its suitability will be evaluated later. This matter is still under review.
Regarding PISA, among the factors that have a significant impact on our ranking, there are actually several things, and these are the Top 6. These do not include the quality of our teachers, meaning that our teachers are not the reason why our scores are low. This means that we have very good teachers.
I would like to draw the attention of Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members to the six factors that have a significant impact on our ranking. What is the first factor that causes us to be low in PISA, and this is the real data analyzed in PISA:
Growth of the mind, which is a lack of confidence. This means that our children do not believe that going to school can change their future.
Bullying. What are the items used to identify the frequency of bullying in PISA? Allow me to read at least two items that have been answered by our students, which led to the OECD labeling our students as being under the influence of bullying:
"Other students made fun of me, then I was threatened by other students."
"Other students left me out of things on purpose," and so on.
Peer cooperation, which is a cooperative attitude.
Feeling lonely.
Life satisfaction.
Sadness.
These are the things that actually correlate highly with the achievement of students who sit in PISA. If we look at these factors, if there is anyone who wants to help, please help us.
The Ministry of Education has tried its best through highly trained and qualified teachers, but these factors often become a reason why students are still unable to achieve what is actually desired.
I would like to thank Your Honorable Speaker for raising this question earlier because it has given me the opportunity to share a little bit of the problems that we are actually facing, and these are real issues. Thank you.
Your Honorable Speaker
Thank you, Your Honorable Minister of Education, and now we turn to Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman.
Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, for allowing me to ask a question and share my views. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Assalamualaikum and greetings.
Kaola would like to express gratitude to Your Honorable Datin Seri Setia Dr. Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Md Salleh, Minister of Education, for the allocation provided by the Ministry of Education, including for upgrading and constructing school buildings.
Kaola is pleased that the Ministry of Education continues to strive to provide the best education to students. Several challenges have been identified by the ministry and new actions and approaches will be taken to address these challenges.
As we face changes in the education landscape where ICT, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); IR 4.0, and digitalization are seen to play a major role. The main challenge in education, in Kaola's view, is to obtain sufficient, qualified, and dedicated teachers who will contribute to more productive learning.
Kaola is pleased to see the allocation for training forums to further improve teachers' skills. We must be ready to produce a new generation of students for this 21st century. Kaola emphasizes the importance of early childhood learning in the education system in this country, which Kaola believes will have a very positive impact on children's learning as it provides skills for thinking and interacting socially. Kaola also believes that this will help improve our performance in PISA, if PISA continues.
Regarding training, Kaola's question is to what extent new training or knowledge acquired by teachers is applied to bring positive changes to classroom learning and how it is monitored.
Kaola believes that its effectiveness needs to be monitored because some teachers feel burdened with various courses and for them, it does not add value. In addition, given other responsibilities, it makes teaching less effective. Kaola thinks that the ministry needs to examine this matter to ensure that the allocation is worthwhile.
Your Honorable Speaker, one of the Key Performance Indicators shared by Your Honorable Minister of Education is the percentage of highly qualified and skilled teachers, which is 50.3%, while the target is 90%.
Kaola's second question is whether this means that 49.7% of teachers currently in schools do not have the qualifications and skills. If true, what is the main reason we cannot produce skilled teachers?
The next question is, what is the role of the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE) in producing skilled teachers, and to what extent do the programs offered by SHBIE meet the educational needs of the country at various levels?
I would also like to refer to the indicator of students passing the Brunei Cambridge GCE 'O' level with 5 'O' levels and above, which is 45.3%. This is a significant number, which means that every year, more than 54.7% of students fail to obtain 5 'O' levels.
I am concerned that this is a large number, and in my opinion, the percentage of students obtaining 5 'O' levels is not much different from previous years. Therefore, efforts must be intensified by the Ministry of Education to further improve the achievement of students at the secondary level so that their learning does not stop at the secondary level only.
I suggest that the allocation under Title Allocation 1 1 19-009, namely the Technical and Vocational Education Scholarship (BPTV), be used to help students who are stuck at the secondary level to take technical and vocational courses.
Your Honorable Speaker, I would also like to express my highest congratulations to Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), UTB, and UNISSA for their improved performance in the world rankings, and also to Politeknik Brunei (PB) and IBTE for producing many job-ready graduates.
This is the result of the efforts of all parties in these institutions. However, I believe that the employability of UBD, UTB, and UNISSA graduates is also a key measure of the success of an institution. In this regard, what actions have the universities taken to ensure that their graduates can easily find jobs? For example, UNISSA reported that only 26% of graduates found employment within 6 months after graduation.
I suggest that this issue of education and unemployment among university graduates be given serious attention and addressed through a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach. Of course, there are success stories where graduates find jobs shortly after convocation.
However, we must also remember that there are still many who are unsuccessful, and some may take several years to find employment.
Finally, Your Honorable Speaker, I appreciate the frequent visits made by the administration of the Ministry of Education to schools.
Your Honorable, visits like this are believed to inject spirit into principals, headmasters, students, and all school members as a sign of concern for school matters by closely observing the school's journey.
The duty of school leaders and teachers is heavy and requires strong support from all parties, including the Ministry and parents.
In my opinion, school leaders should be considered for a substantial allowance and the Teacher Service Scheme should be given appropriate attention, such as job appointments so that teachers do not work on a daily wage or contract for too long, and consideration for promotion for those who serve with excellence.
That's all. May Allah guide us and grant us success. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
Thank you, Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman.
Before I ask the Minister of Education to answer the questions raised, I would like to give way to the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports to provide some clarification or enlightenment on the issue raised by Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin earlier. Please proceed.
Your Honorable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. I would like to add some clarification or enlightenment on the issue of stranded school children raised by Your Honorable earlier.
Firstly, education is undoubtedly a very important matter. It can change the fate of every individual and their livelihood. However, education is not limited to academic fields only. It also includes skills training that can open up opportunities for individuals to enter certain fields in relevant economic sectors.
In this regard, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, through the Youth Development Center, from time to time provides opportunities and skills training to these stranded youths or students who are unable to continue their academic education to a higher level.
One important component of this skills training involves the development of self-identity and leadership among youths. This means that the level of self-identity is related to resilience, which means not only acquiring skills and education but also having a high level of resilience to continue life and face life's challenges.
In addition, Skills Training Program and Job Placement Program are also provided. Personal Development Program is a special program implemented with the aim of enhancing the personality of youth and trainees, especially in terms of leadership, discipline, spirituality, teamwork, time management, and health care.
Your Honorable, I am pleased to share the fields or programs offered under the Youth Development Center:
Level 2 Diploma in Food Preparation and Culinary Arts;
Level 2 Diploma in Food Preparation and Culinary Arts-Patisserie;
Level 1 Diploma in Accident Repair Body;
Level 1 Certificate in Engineering-Welding;
ITQ Level 1 for IT Users;
Skill Proficiency in Basic Plumbing;
Skill Proficiency Certificate in Basic Refrigeration and Air Conditioning;
Basic Fashion Design and Technology Course/PPB-Aewon Sewing Course;
Basic Beauty Therapy Skills Course; and
Basic Agrobiz Plus Course.
The 7 programs mentioned by me offer City and Guilds certification, and for the Basic Fashion Design and Technology Course, it is a collaboration with industry players such as Aewon.
I am pleased to share that Aewon has trained these trainers to produce quality clothes using equipment provided by Aewon. Some of these trainers have successfully supplied clothes to foreign countries such as Universal Studio.
What is important perhaps is that to participate in these courses, trainers are not required to have the highest academic achievement as this program is more about capturing and gathering those who are unable to continue their education and providing a second or even third chance for them to acquire skills to continue their lives and change their individual fortunes.
That is all I have to share, and I would like to express my gratitude for giving me the opportunity to share some things that many may still be unaware of, and similar programs that are in line with what is offered by the Ministry of Education.
Indeed, this is an example of how government agencies can take a national approach in addressing such issues.
Once again, thank you. May Allah grant us success and guidance. Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah.
Your Honorable Speaker
Thank you, Your Honorable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
Now, I will hand over to Your Honorable Minister of Education to address the recommendations and questions raised by Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman. Please proceed.
Your Honorable Minister of Education
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, and also thank you to Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman for the recommendations and questions.
Firstly, regarding teachers or the emphasis on early childhood learning. Alhamdulillah, the process of selecting teachers through the Immersion and Apprentice programs has resulted in 14 Immersion and Apprentice teachers successfully filling the position of Education Officer (Daily Rated) in the field of early childhood education.
Insha'Allah, in continuous efforts to address the issue of teacher shortage, the Department of Education Management will advertise job vacancies based on the needs of the replacement plan.
For the intake of the 5th cohort of the Apprentice program, which will be opened this year, early childhood education teachers will have 8 quotas available, insha'Allah.
Regarding professional development, perhaps for early childhood teachers. Referring to Your Honorable Pehin's views on the Professional Development Program offered by the Brunei Darussalam Teachers and Leaders Academy (BDLTA).
Alhamdulillah, with the establishment of this academy, the Ministry of Education has been successful in providing development programs for teachers, school leaders, and education experts. Insha'Allah, the BDLTA will review the programs offered to ensure their effectiveness in improving the skills and knowledge of teachers and school leaders.
Regarding BPTV. As an effort to reduce the number of students who are categorized as not in employment, education, and training, which is 20% to 25%, BPTV is a Technical and Vocational Education Scholarship Scheme introduced in 2018 for less privileged students who have 0 to 3 'O' levels.
Regarding employability in higher education institutions. Various measures and initiatives are also being implemented by higher education institutions in the country. For example, UBD has organized career exhibitions through the UBD Centre for Networking Employment and Career Training (UBD CoNECT), UBD Conversation, career development services, and Alumni Talk Series to assist students in career development. The establishment of the UBD Start-up Center is also aimed at stimulating the marketability of students.
At UTB, the annual project exhibition brings together students, stakeholders, employers, and staff to learn and celebrate student achievements and provide feedback to further develop their achievements for commercial success. Employers also have the opportunity to identify potential students for any job opportunities. The Student Affairs, Career Guidance Unit offers Graduate Career Skills Workshops including Curriculum Repair Workshop, Temuduga Charm Workshop, Technopreneurship Workshop, and career talks and recruitment. The workshops offer professional training and direct job opportunities.
Meanwhile, UNISSA has established two special offices to enhance the employability of UNISSA graduates, namely the Alumni Affairs Office, which provides and collects data and statistics on UNISSA alumni, and the Career Development and Industry Networking Office or OCEAN for career development-related activities.
UNISSA also provides opportunities for its graduates to participate in up-skilling and re-skilling courses or programs offered through the Centre for Lifelong Learning and Leadership (C4L), with payment covered by the Alumni Association Fund or given a discount of up to 50% to encourage participation.
Politeknik Brunei provides career counseling in collaboration with the Job Centre Brunei and holds PB Market Day. Finally, visits to schools, God willing, will become a necessity at all levels in the Ministry of Education.
Therefore, there are scheduled visits made by the HOC and representatives from the HOC, and the Directors, Kaola himself, Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Permanent Secretaries visit schools.
God willing, the frequency will be increased because only through visits can we truly understand the problems at the ground level.
Thank you for the suggestion and input, Your Honorable Pehin earlier. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
Thank you, Your Honorable Minister of Education. Honorable Members, I think we have discussed enough on this topic this afternoon.
It is best to adjourn this Committee Meeting and reconvene at the National Assembly Meeting.
(The Committee Meeting is adjourned) (The National Assembly Meeting reconvenes)
Your Honorable Speaker
Honorable Members. We are now reconvening in the Session of the National Assembly.
I would like to adjourn this session and, God willing, we will reconvene tomorrow on Tuesday, 14th March 2023, starting at 9.30 am as usual.
That is all, with the help and guidance of Allah. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
ADJOURNED
(The Assembly is adjourned)
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