Brunei Darussalam, known as Brunei, is a tiny Southeast Asian Islamic sultanate. It is located on the South China Sea along the northern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering Malaysia. Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888 and achieved independence in 1984. A high-income country with a small population (491,900), half of its GDP ($35.26 billion) is based on petroleum exports.
A majority of the population is employed by the government, which provides education, health care and most other living expenses for its citizens.
Education Overview
Brunei’s education system is free to citizens, including university abroad, but not compulsory. This includes textbooks, transportation, food and hostels. Education comprises one year pre-primary, six years primary and six years middle and secondary school. This is followed by either pre-university or vocational education. Tertiary education is available from institutes, technical colleges, training centers and the senior education center, the University of Brunei Darussalam. The alternative tertiary education is overseas education paid for by the government.
Wawasan Brunei 2035
Wawasan Brunei 2035, launched in 2008, outlines Brunei’s aspirations to ensure that by 2035 its people are well-educated, highly skilled and accomplished; enjoy a high quality of life; and that the nation possesses a dynamic and sustainable economy.
The desired educational outcomes (Goal #1) are a first-class education (high-quality teachers, schools and accomplishments), equal educational opportunities (high participation) and human resource development (post-secondary education and life-long learning).
SPN21, the National Education System for the 21st Century, approved in 2007, is the platform of the Ministry of Education to achieve the educational objectives of Wawasan Brunei 2035. Its three main pillars are education structure, curriculum and assessment and technical education.
Education Challenges
Brunei and SDG 4. The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. SDG 4 is Quality Education, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Progress on the SDGs is measured by the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network and reported in the annual Sustainable Development Report (SDR).
Despite the vision outlined for 2025 and the plan outlined in Brunei’s SPN21, the 2025 SDR assessment of Brunei’s progress on SDG 4 was that “challenges remain,” with its score stagnating or increasing at less than 50% of the required rate. The country is seen as on track or remaining for three indicators: literacy (98%), net primary enrollment rate and lower secondary completion rate, although the secondary completion rate is stagnating. The significant challenge is in the participation rate in pre-primary organized learning, which is seeing a downward trend.
Lack of Appropriate Job Opportunities. Although the government has reported significant progress attained by Wawasan Brunei 2035 regarding education, public sentiment reflects concerns about a decline in education standards and a disconnect between job opportunities and higher education.
Economic Diversification.
Brunei’s economy has been highly dependent on oil and gas, and this may be part of the employment problem, especially since it has been suggested that the country’s oil and gas reserves would last only until 2035. The Ministry of Finance and Economy reports that this dependency has, however, been declining since Wawasan Brunei 2035 was initiated, with the oil and gas sector’s contribution to the GDP in the second quarter of 2024 reduced to 50.3%. New policies and initiatives have focused on economic diversification with the development of agriculture, fisheries, tourism and financial services being promoted. This will, perhaps, bring higher education and employment opportunities into better alignment.
Ministry of Education Strategic Plan 2023-2027
The Ministry of Education’s most recent strategic plan reflects Wawasan Brunei 2035 and SPN21. Its key success measures are primary level achievement, secondary level achievement, renowned higher education institutions, post-secondary level enrollment, employable graduates, employer satisfaction and sustainability.
The plan notes a major strategy “to provide multiple pathways in increasing access into higher education” along with “schemes… to ensure there is opportunity to enrol [sic] into higher education in the private sector.” In 2022, 388 programs were provided across multiple fields and levels. The 2022 enrollment rates across Brunei’s five priority sectors were: services 59.78%, downstream oil and gas 19.27%, information and communication technology 16.03%, tourism 2.69% and food 2.23%.
Education and Environmental Stewardship
Brunei Darussalam has, therefore, prioritized education and the role this sector plays in the long-term future of the country. A recent innovation is the link created between education and sustainability. In line with the country’s commitment to a climate-resilient and sustainable future, Brunei’s Greening Education Plan 2025-2035 provides a comprehensive national framework where all levels of the country’s education system will include “eco-conscious” principles. Attention is given to curriculum, policy, infrastructure, procurement and data management. The plan’s six primary objectives are to:
- Inspire long-term behavioral change
- Reduce resource consumption and environmental impact
- Promote environmental literacy
- Support green skills and career pathways
- Foster community and national collaboration
- Institutionalize sustainability in educational systems
– Paula Gibson
Photo: Flickr
Education in Albania: Keeping More Children in School
According to UNESCO, education in Albania has undergone various changes in order to bring the curriculum up to date, make mandatory education more accessible and fit national objectives within European and international guidelines since its transition to democracy.
Compared to other countries, there is less spent on education in Albania, according to the Albanian Coalition for Child Education. The nation set aside 3.5 percent of its GDP for education in 1999 and only 2.7 percent in 2013, which puts it almost 2 percent lower than the average in Eastern Europe.
The amount spent per elementary and secondary student in Albania was also reported as being among the lowest in the area. In 2005, Albanians had an average of 8.5 years of education, compared to an average of 12 years among ten EU member nations. The latest statistic shows that there is now an average of 11.9 years of education among Albanians.
Over the last 10 years, education in Albania has made considerable progress. The nation adopted The Law on Inclusive Education in 2012, which guarantees the right to an education to disabled children. It also guarantees them access to specialized personnel who are trained to cater to their needs.
Although this is a step in the right direction, there are still issues that need to be addressed regarding education in Albania. Over 50 percent of Roma children between 6 and 16 have never been in school and more than 40 percent between the ages of 15 and 16 are considered illiterate.
Education in Albania has made significant progress, but there still remains extensive ground to be covered. The government of Albania is taking the necessary steps to ensure that its system is up to global standards.
– Fernando Vazquez
Photo: Flickr
9 Facts About Education in Taiwan
Education in Taiwan continues to progress, especially towards targeting areas that it is less proficient in. With the added focus on reading, arts and creativity, along with less pressure to score high on exams, Taiwan is working to ensure that its educational system meets the needs of all its students.
– Melanie Snyder
Photo: Flickr
Education in Brunei
Brunei Darussalam, known as Brunei, is a tiny Southeast Asian Islamic sultanate. It is located on the South China Sea along the northern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering Malaysia. Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888 and achieved independence in 1984. A high-income country with a small population (491,900), half of its GDP ($35.26 billion) is based on petroleum exports.
A majority of the population is employed by the government, which provides education, health care and most other living expenses for its citizens.
Education Overview
Brunei’s education system is free to citizens, including university abroad, but not compulsory. This includes textbooks, transportation, food and hostels. Education comprises one year pre-primary, six years primary and six years middle and secondary school. This is followed by either pre-university or vocational education. Tertiary education is available from institutes, technical colleges, training centers and the senior education center, the University of Brunei Darussalam. The alternative tertiary education is overseas education paid for by the government.
Wawasan Brunei 2035
Wawasan Brunei 2035, launched in 2008, outlines Brunei’s aspirations to ensure that by 2035 its people are well-educated, highly skilled and accomplished; enjoy a high quality of life; and that the nation possesses a dynamic and sustainable economy.
The desired educational outcomes (Goal #1) are a first-class education (high-quality teachers, schools and accomplishments), equal educational opportunities (high participation) and human resource development (post-secondary education and life-long learning).
SPN21, the National Education System for the 21st Century, approved in 2007, is the platform of the Ministry of Education to achieve the educational objectives of Wawasan Brunei 2035. Its three main pillars are education structure, curriculum and assessment and technical education.
Education Challenges
Brunei and SDG 4. The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. SDG 4 is Quality Education, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Progress on the SDGs is measured by the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network and reported in the annual Sustainable Development Report (SDR).
Despite the vision outlined for 2025 and the plan outlined in Brunei’s SPN21, the 2025 SDR assessment of Brunei’s progress on SDG 4 was that “challenges remain,” with its score stagnating or increasing at less than 50% of the required rate. The country is seen as on track or remaining for three indicators: literacy (98%), net primary enrollment rate and lower secondary completion rate, although the secondary completion rate is stagnating. The significant challenge is in the participation rate in pre-primary organized learning, which is seeing a downward trend.
Lack of Appropriate Job Opportunities. Although the government has reported significant progress attained by Wawasan Brunei 2035 regarding education, public sentiment reflects concerns about a decline in education standards and a disconnect between job opportunities and higher education.
Economic Diversification.
Brunei’s economy has been highly dependent on oil and gas, and this may be part of the employment problem, especially since it has been suggested that the country’s oil and gas reserves would last only until 2035. The Ministry of Finance and Economy reports that this dependency has, however, been declining since Wawasan Brunei 2035 was initiated, with the oil and gas sector’s contribution to the GDP in the second quarter of 2024 reduced to 50.3%. New policies and initiatives have focused on economic diversification with the development of agriculture, fisheries, tourism and financial services being promoted. This will, perhaps, bring higher education and employment opportunities into better alignment.
Ministry of Education Strategic Plan 2023-2027
The Ministry of Education’s most recent strategic plan reflects Wawasan Brunei 2035 and SPN21. Its key success measures are primary level achievement, secondary level achievement, renowned higher education institutions, post-secondary level enrollment, employable graduates, employer satisfaction and sustainability.
The plan notes a major strategy “to provide multiple pathways in increasing access into higher education” along with “schemes… to ensure there is opportunity to enrol [sic] into higher education in the private sector.” In 2022, 388 programs were provided across multiple fields and levels. The 2022 enrollment rates across Brunei’s five priority sectors were: services 59.78%, downstream oil and gas 19.27%, information and communication technology 16.03%, tourism 2.69% and food 2.23%.
Education and Environmental Stewardship
Brunei Darussalam has, therefore, prioritized education and the role this sector plays in the long-term future of the country. A recent innovation is the link created between education and sustainability. In line with the country’s commitment to a climate-resilient and sustainable future, Brunei’s Greening Education Plan 2025-2035 provides a comprehensive national framework where all levels of the country’s education system will include “eco-conscious” principles. Attention is given to curriculum, policy, infrastructure, procurement and data management. The plan’s six primary objectives are to:
– Paula Gibson
Photo: Flickr
Girls Not Brides: Ending Child Marriage in Afghanistan
Though the legal age of marriage is 16 years for women and 18 years for men, as outlined by the Afghan Civil Code, 33 percent of girls are married by the age of 18, the internationally recommended standard legal age for marriage. These marriages essentially treat girls as property in order to strengthen ties between rival families and tribes or to settle debts and disputes. Poor families often sell their daughters for large sums of money to wealthy families and much older men.
Girls who marry in childhood have little power in their household, a greater likelihood of dropping out of school and being illiterate, lower labor force participation and earnings and less control over household assets. Thus, girls’ potential for societal contribution in Afghanistan is immediately stunted by being forced into child marriage.
Child brides, as well as their children, will likely experience a lower standard of health. Adolescent mothers also have a significantly higher risk of maternal mortality and morbidity than women just a few years older than them. These deficits, which affect not only the individuals involved in child marriages in Afghanistan but also the entire country, have not gone unnoticed.
Girls Not Brides is a global partnership committed to helping girls fulfill their potentials by putting an end to child marriage. By emphasizing accountability on behalf of governments and other participants to uphold, respect and protect the rights of girls, the organization pressures countries like Afghanistan to address the issue of child marriage.
In April 2017, the Afghan government showed its support for ending child marriage in Afghanistan by launching a National Action Plan to Eliminate Early and Child Marriage. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Culture, with support from UNFPA Afghanistan, the Canadian government and a range of other activists, worked together to develop the declaration. This plan highlights two techniques: initiatives designed to prevent early and childhood marriages and improving laws and services in support of people at risk of early and child marriage.
However, orchestrating a National Action Plan is just the beginning; the plan must be implemented in order to make a difference. Organizations such as Girls Not Brides pledge to ensure that governments take action to protect their girls from underage and unlawful marriage. Initiatives with the goal of putting an end to child marriage in Afghanistan will only succeed with the support of such associations.
– Richa Bijlani
Photo: Flickr
Combating Poverty in South Africa With Opera
The nonprofit organization Voices of South Africa has helped numerous South Africans realize their aspiration of a life beyond their impoverished communities, by enabling them to pursue their dreams of singing opera. In a country where over 50 percent of people live in poverty, the struggle to fulfill one’s everyday needs can easily eclipse such faraway dreams as a college education or the pursuit of a career which one is truly passionate about. Such is the case for many in South Africa, where poverty has been on the rise over the past decade. Today poverty in South Africa affects more than 30 million people, and high rates of violent crime, drug use and HIV/AIDS continue to be major sources of concern.
It would seem unlikely given these conditions that South Africa could have produced an astonishing number of world-class opera singers and been dubbed the “vocal breadbasket” in the past decade, but that is precisely the case. These singers represent the triumph of ambitious aspirations over considerable situational odds.
South Africa has a longstanding and rich choral tradition that has sparked an interest in opera and studying classical voice in many young South Africans. Embarking on an operatic career, however, requires a significant amount of time and money as well as access to specialized training and advanced levels of education. As indicated by the poverty rate, these resources are not available to the average South African. Recognizing this divide, opera singer Njabulo Madlala, a South Africa native, founded Voices of South Africa’s national opera singing workshops and competition in 2010, as a means of inspiring and supporting the next generation of South African opera singers. This registered nonprofit has played a key role in facilitating the education and career launch of several of the South African singers who have recently been hailed as some of the most promising newcomers to the international opera industry.
Each year, the organization selects a handful of the most talented singers who audition to participate in an intensive two-week program that involves individual vocal coaching, mentoring and career guidance and culminates in a gala concert. Each of the selected singers receives the necessary financial support to attend the program as well as the invaluable chance to work with respected members of the opera community for free. The singers are further supported during the application and audition process for music schools and professional programs. Moreover, a chief tenet of the program is helping the singers build the requisite skills to take advantage of opportunities that exist and create work for themselves so that they are able make a living whatever their current situation may be.
The organization’s founder and artistic and executive director has sung at some of the most prominent opera houses in Europe but comes from an impoverished background similar to that of many of his program’s participants. Njabulo Madlala grew up in an economically disadvantaged, single-parent household in Durban, where he was surrounded by poverty and crime. He was given the chance to escape poverty in South Africa and pursue his dream of singing when he was awarded a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Madlala founded the Voices of South Africa program with the desire to help give other singers the same chance he was lucky enough to receive.
Soprano Noluvuyiso Mpofo is a former Voices of South Africa participant, who has now embarked on a successful career. Mpofo placed third in the prestigious international Operalia competition, hosted by Plácido Domingo in 2011, and won second place in the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition – the “world cup” of opera – in 2013. The international acclaim focused on Mpofo and other South African opera stars such as Pretty Yende and Pumeza Matshikiza has undoubtedly been an appreciated source of national pride for a country beset with hardship.
Although it caters to a small niche, Voices of South Africa is an example of an initiative working to transform lives through education and mentorship programs for young adults. This organization has impacted the lives of numerous young South Africans by offering them the opportunity to escape their vulnerable situations and follow their dreams. The establishment of similar organizations catering to a wide range of interests and groups would surely go a long way toward reducing poverty in South Africa.
– Savannah Bequeaith
Photo: Flickr
Seven Things to Know About Education in Myanmar
Due to a variety of factors, the access to quality education in Myanmar is generally poor. Below are seven things everyone should know about education in Myanmar.
Though the investment in education in Myanmar has improved in recent years, there is still a lot of progress to be made within the country’s education system. Many organizations, such as QBEP and UNICEF, are taking steps in the right direction by working to provide better access to education for all children in Myanmar.
– Haley Rogers
Photo: Flickr
The Varkey Foundation Seeks Education Advancement Globally
The foundation started with Sunny Varkey, an education entrepreneur who believes that education “plays a key role in reducing conflict, prejudice, poverty and intolerance around the world.” Through the Varkey Foundation, programs geared toward improving classroom instruction, teacher appreciation and the advocation for improved global education have helped the world greatly.
The following are descriptions of the Varkey Foundation’s various campaigns and programs:
The Instructional Leader Program is a low-cost teacher training program that addresses the issue of teacher quality. This program consists of a five day, face-to-face course aimed at school administration and principals in order to improve teacher quality within schools. The Varkey Foundation also has training courses for tutors. It has established satellite schools to continue professional development and Saturday workshops based on school needs.
Making Ghanaian Girls Great! (MGCubed) is an interactive distance-learning program—the first of its kind in Ghana. Through the use of technology and multimedia content, MGCubed is able to deliver quality teaching to over five thousand students throughout Ghana. This program uses solar powered computers and projectors to broadcast lessons to connected classrooms across Ghana. Through MGCubed, the quality of education increases and girls also have access to an after-school program specifically geared toward gender studies.
Varkey Teacher Ambassadors are role models who promote great practices in education and are leaders in developing learning techniques. These teachers are known to go above and beyond for their students’ education for the best possible future. The teachers who become ambassadors are given the opportunity to share and promote their projects to larger audiences online or at the Global Education and Skills Forum.
The Global Teacher Prize is a $1 million prize that is annually given to a teacher that has made an extraordinary contribution to their profession. The purpose of this prize acknowledges that teachers should be recognized and celebrated for their efforts. Not only does this prize reflect the impact of the teacher on their students, but also their effort put forth in bettering the community. Through the recognition of hard working teachers, education can improve, thus improving social, political, health and economic issues throughout the world.
The purpose of the Global Education and Skills Forum is to address the challenges of education and how to improve them. This forum brings together world leaders from public, social and private sectors to seek solutions for these issues. The forum emphasizes the question, “How do we get there together?” In other words, the event is meant to bring focus to how leaders can take these solutions, implement them and make sure they benefit everyone. The forum lasts two days, where more than 2,000 delegates share and debate new ways to transform education to best benefit the world.
The Varkey Foundation focuses intently on education and leaders within education in order to improve students and communities around the world. The Varkey Foundation’s programs and campaigns continue to focus on the best possible solution, as well as acknowledging teachers in all their efforts.
– Rebekah Covey
Photo: Flickr
Hunger in Guadeloupe Needs Improvement
Current Statistics
Impact of COVID-19
Good News
Despite facing numerous challenges, there is promising news for the agricultural sector in Guadeloupe. Farmers in the region have responded to these challenges by broadening their crop range and prioritizing greater self-sufficiency in resources, labor and marketing. These adaptations indicate a transition towards more sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices.
Final Thoughts
The current situation in Guadeloupe is alarming due to high poverty rates, malnourishment among older adults and increased obesity among the population. Resolving these issues will require a comprehensive strategy that includes economic assistance, reforms in the agricultural sector, and the implementation of public health programs. Such steps will help reduce unemployment and poverty and ensure access to nutritious food for all residents of Guadeloupe.
– Scott Kesselring and Maria Waleed
Photo: Flickr
Updated: October 18, 2024
Education in Spain Requires Immediate Improvements
Education in Spain is a broad and extended topic. Although the federal form of government in the country resides in Madrid, and is lead by the prime minister Mariano Rajoy, the country is divided within 17 autonomous regions that have smaller forms of government within each one. This leads to some schools in Spain teaching Spanish in the particular dialect from each region, such as in Catalonia, the Basque country, Galicia and more.
The Spanish schooling system is divided within three categories: public schools, private schools and state-funded private schools. Regardless of public schools being completely funded by the state, thus free of charge for the students who attend such schools, class materials, books and sometimes uniforms still need to be paid with citizens’ own money.
Sunken within the 2008 economic crisis, the European country of Spain has just now started to recover its economy and generate interest, breaking the loop that has positioned the country at the second highest unemployment rate within the European Union, Greece taking the first place. The sector that has been most affected by the economic crisis of the past several years has been public education in Spain. This issue has been a notoriously increasing one since the economic crisis started, due to extreme budget cuts on the public schooling system within the European country.
Prime minister Mariano Rajoy declared José Ignacio Wert as the minister for education in the year of 2011, and from then to 2015, when Wert was substituted by Iñigo Méndez de Vigo, education was greatly affected. From the year 2012 to 2013, public schools’ teaching systems declined when sharp cuts forced the government to leave up to 25,000 teachers unemployed. Public universities’ tuition fees increased by 66 percent, taking Spanish citizens out on the street to protest the dreadful management that increased the numbers of people who could not afford education for their families.
The main consequence regarding these issues has been the increase of school dropouts, which stood at an alarming rate of 25 percent in 2014, the highest school dropout rate in the European Union. However, there is good news. Even with high levels of poverty, education in Spain was ranked as having the 12th lowest inequality gap for students of all the countries in Europe.
Spanish residents fight for a better schooling system and education in Spain everyday. The lack of teachers, economic resources and the increase of students per class have lead to a series of educational strikes in order to make the Spanish government understand and respond to the gravity of the issue.
– Paula Gibson
Photo: Flickr
6 African Countries Receive Life-Saving Cancer Treatments
The agreement was made between two major pharmaceutical companies: Pfizer, located in the U.S. and Cipla, one of the giants in the Indian pharmaceutical world. Both will cut the prices of 16 cancer treatment drugs, including chemotherapies, for six countries in sub-Saharan Africa that are most affected by the disease.
The six countries receiving major discounts on cancer medicines are Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. A press release by the ACS reveals these are the countries in major need of health improvement, as 44 percent of all cancer cases occurring in sub-Saharan Africa each year happen in these six targeted countries.
According to the Pharmaceutical Journal, there were an estimated 626,000 new cases of cancer in sub-Saharan Africa in 2012, leading to a total of 447,000 deaths by cancer. The World Health Organization predicts this figure could double by 2030 if nothing is done, with killings reaching almost one million sub-Saharan Africans. In comparison to the U.S., with 90 percent of women surviving five years with breast cancer, Uganda and Gambia have survival rates of 46 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
Some of the factors explaining the start of Africa’s cancer crisis are the lack of training for providers, shortages of medications and the insufficiency of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. Another barrier to quality care for cancer patients in Africa is linked to biology. In fact, there are differences in tumor biology between African cancer patients and patients in developed countries. As an example, African patients often have bigger tumors than patients in other regions, which demands much more care as well as adequate infrastructure to research solutions for curing the disease.
Funding is also a major problem for sub-Saharan Africa, as global funding for cancer prevention and treatment in other low-income countries represents only two percent of global health spending. This is far lower than the health spending for diseases such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis.
Having access to high-quality and affordable cancer treatment facilities and medicine in sub-Saharan Africa has become a major goal for ACS and its partner organizations. On top of this agreement, they are preparing long term strategies that will improve the lack of care facing many African patients for years to come.
– Sarah Soutoul
Photo: Flickr