Students' Choice Will Get Priority In Career Guidance Plans
By Fei Phoon

Bandar Seri Begawan - Students' interests will receive top priority under the latest career guidance strategies produced by the Ministry of Education.

Hamdani Alias, acting head of counselling and career guidance section under the Department of Schools at the Ministry of Education, explained that the revised programmes have been constructed to accommodate more feedback from students and teachers and ultimately aim to be more functional and organised.

He said students' ambitions should not be bound by limited knowledge of career and education options or opportunities.

"Most students believe that without good grades they will not qualify for any scholarship or further study opportunities," said Hamdani.

"This is not true, however, because the government offers a wide range of different opportunities to courses over seas. Students need to be informed better of the possibilities, so that there is no mismatch of interests later."

He was speaking with The Brunei Times at the Ministry of Education's first ever Career Services Course and Workshop 2007, which will run till Saturday at the Public Services Institute. An estimated 50 teachers from government schools all over the sultanate participated in yesterday's session themed: 'Career Interests Inventory', led by speaker Hj Haji Hj Othman.

The attending, educators, whose responsibilities range from lower and upper secondary to sixth form colleges, were invited to contribute suggestions towards possible exposure programmes and educational visits for students.

Hamdani said 'that the educators themselves seemed pleased at being directly consulted on the rectification of any problems. "We will try to do this from now on, instead of imposing ideas on them," he added. "From there, we can devise more efficient short-term and long-term plans," he said.

Senior officers at the event confirmed that this would be one of numerous future initiatives towards establishing functional career-education services in schools and colleges, so as to assist students in realising their goals and planning for their future. Career guidance- teachers under the programme will be encouraged to be more active in promoting further education and the importance of education, as well as arranging for speakers to inspire students under their charge.

"From now on, we want students to understand that whatever their qualifications, (intellectual capacity) or interests, they are still important to us. Whatever careers they choose are still careers, and they will be useful (in one way or another)," said Hamdani.

The department concerned also has designs to include private schools under the same programme in future.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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