Brunei ICT Best Practice Cited At Regional Meet
By Hadi DP Mahmud

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's experience in using information technology (IT) in teaching and learning is "a prospective model" for Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

The sultanate's "rich experience" in the information and communications technology (ICT) -education field was noted during a regional education conference in Indonesia last week.

Brunei's Education Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Rahman Dato Setia Hj Mohamed Taib exchanged ideas and notes on best practices with his counterparts in the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (Seameo) during back-to-back meetings of the 42nd Southeast Asian Ministerial Education Conference (Seamec) and the second Asean Seameo Education Discussions from March 13 to 15 in Bali, Indonesia.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened the Seamec with a keynote speech noting Seameo's role in supporting closer regional integration. This year, on a fixed rotational basis, Indonesian Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo assumed the presidency of the Seameo Council from Singapore Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Indonesia leads the discussions on ICT initiatives and an overview of the current state of education in Indonesia. ICT development and integration in the curriculum formed a major part of the discussions. Quality assurance in higher education, rural development, and poverty reduction through higher education and promoting a "Southeast Asian identity" were also high on the agenda during discussions.

According to Seameo statistics, Brunei Darussalam is the only Seameo member to have non-compulsory education, despite having the highest literacy rate of 93.9 per cent in the region. This is closely followed by Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore with 92.6, 92.6 and 92.5 per cent respectively.

Seameo member countries include Asean members and Timor-Leste.

This year, Spain was accepted as the eighth Seameo associate member country. It will join Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, New Zealand and Norway and an affiliate member, the International Council for Open and Distance Learning.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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