Public Policy
Introduction
Public policy, in general, refers to a broad ranging issue which may deal with a wide variety of substantive areas such as education, health, housing and others. Harold Dwight Lasswell, an American political scientist, has made a great contribution to the study of policy-making, declaring policy as a process – “a set of phenomena organised in time and led by a number of specific and self-induced mechanisms” (1951). The key emphasis of public policy has been set on the part played by policy institutions and structures of government and on the processes associated with policy-making. This essay will discuss about the role of various institutions in policy-making process with reference to Brunei Darussalam’s education policy: the National Education System for 21st Century, also known as Sistem Pendidikan Negara Abad 21 or in short, SPN21.
SPN21 as an Education Policy in Brunei Darussalam
The Ministry of Education in Brunei Darussalam is obligated in providing an educational system designed to diversify and broaden the provision of education as a package from primary to higher education to incorporating technical & vocational education, ensure a promising future for the country and prepare the younger generation for future roles as resourceful, competent and intellectual citizens. Hence, the education policy of SPN21 was implemented in 2008 mainly due to the rising expectations and global challenges of the 21st century whereby students would be equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to meet the changing needs of a forward looking economy. Other than that, Brunei Darussalam also aims to transform its education landscape as a rationale for change with the overview of Brunei Vision 2035 (Wawasan Brunei 2035).
The SPN21 brings about several major changes to the education system. In terms of structure, the SPN21 gives highly capable students the opportunity to complete their secondary education in a shorter period of time which will definitely benefit
Public policy, in general, refers to a broad ranging issue which may deal with a wide variety of substantive areas such as education, health, housing and others. Harold Dwight Lasswell, an American political scientist, has made a great contribution to the study of policy-making, declaring policy as a process – “a set of phenomena organised in time and led by a number of specific and self-induced mechanisms” (1951). The key emphasis of public policy has been set on the part played by policy institutions and structures of government and on the processes associated with policy-making. This essay will discuss about the role of various institutions in policy-making process with reference to Brunei Darussalam’s education policy: the National Education System for 21st Century, also known as Sistem Pendidikan Negara Abad 21 or in short, SPN21.
SPN21 as an Education Policy in Brunei Darussalam
The Ministry of Education in Brunei Darussalam is obligated in providing an educational system designed to diversify and broaden the provision of education as a package from primary to higher education to incorporating technical & vocational education, ensure a promising future for the country and prepare the younger generation for future roles as resourceful, competent and intellectual citizens. Hence, the education policy of SPN21 was implemented in 2008 mainly due to the rising expectations and global challenges of the 21st century whereby students would be equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to meet the changing needs of a forward looking economy. Other than that, Brunei Darussalam also aims to transform its education landscape as a rationale for change with the overview of Brunei Vision 2035 (Wawasan Brunei 2035).
The SPN21 brings about several major changes to the education system. In terms of structure, the SPN21 gives highly capable students the opportunity to complete their secondary education in a shorter period of time which will definitely benefit
References: Ham, Christopher & Hill, Michael (1993). The Policy Process in the Modern Capitalist State. Second Edition. Harvester Wheatsheaf. Hill, Michael (1997). The Policy Process in the Modern State. Third Edition. Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf. Howlett, Michael & Ramesh, M. (1995). Studying Public Policy: Policy Cycles and Policy Subsystems. Second Edition. Oxford University Press. Ministry of Education (2009). 21st Century National Education System (SPN21). Retrieved from http://www.moe.edu.bn/web/spn21 R.Dye, Thomas (1987). Understanding Public Policy. Sixth Edition. Prentice Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.