Co-Curricular Activities for Quality Education

CO-CURRICULAR activities are essential in providing quality education to better prepare students for their transition into the working environment, said minister of education.

Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Rahman Dato Setia Hj Mohd Taib said this yesterday during a cultural showcase held at the Nakhoda Ragam Vocational School in Lambak Kanan.

"(As educators) we must realise the need to have a mature mindset in providing quality education. We cannot just educate students with knowledge based on the academic curriculum syllabus," said the minister.

He added that the world today is not the same as it was 25 years ago.

"Many things have changed, including the needs and forms of the working world."

Pehin Dato Hj Abd Rahman also spoke of the ministry's mission to provide an education system which helps everyone achieve their maximum potential through the development of a healthy spirit, body and mind, in addition to having high social skills, morality, aesthetics and cognitive skills.

"A number of education programmes have been discussed and implemented to achieve this mission, among them was the implementation of the co-curriculum education programme," he said.

"I think this co-curriculum education is something that is very important in preparing quality citizens after they graduate from their studies," said the minister before elaborating on how the co-curriculum education can help to implant and nurture the different skills required for the students to achieve the ministry's aspirations.

The minister pointed out that these co-curricular activities would also play an integral role when considering awarding local and international scholarships, including those of higher education courses to the students.

Pehin Dato Hj Abd Rahman then expressed his wishes of having every student in the Sultanate joining a uniformed co-curricular programme such as the police or military cadets, among others.

"This is because through these activities, we can expose and train these students with a number of basic self defence and survival skills along with the development of helpful habits," said the minister.

He stressed the importance of such skills during critical moments such as flash floods and landslides.

The minister also urged the school leaders themselves to participate in such uniformed co-curricular activities to act as a role model for their students.

"As leaders of the schools, headmasters are the role models which become the pillar of education in schools," explained Pehin Dato Hj Abd Rahman.

The annual cultural showcase, which was the eight of its kind was organised by the Committee of Primary School Leaders (Japser) of Brunei Two, with the primary objective of allowing both the Bruneian elders and youth to reminisce and better understand the cultural heritage of the Sultanate. The Brunei Times