Izah Azahari
Minister of Education Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh yesterday advised youth on the significance of being globally competitive, challenging oneself to step outside of the comfort zone, the importance of reading, being active in youth associations and initiatives and having a want-to-know attitude.
She made these comments during the sixth edition of the Youth Town Hall co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Brunei and supported by the Ministry of Education (MoE) at the Theatre Hall of the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday.
Themed ‘Developing an Inclusive and Dynamic Economy through Education’, the event was moderated by Assistant Head Officer (Youth) at the Department of Youth and Sports, Dr Muhammad Nuriskandar bin Mohd Hasnan. The session commenced with a comprehensive discussion on the budget, during which the minister elucidated the allocation and distribution of funds within the MoE.
This was followed by an account of Brunei’s strategies for overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic, particularly in relation to the closure of schools and the subsequent transition to online education.
Emphasis was also placed on the minister’s belief in the significance of investing in education for the nation’s future.
Engaging in exchanges with the participants, the minister also highlighted various gaps needed to be addressed, encompassing the holistic development of social and emotional well-being among young individuals as a means to adequately prepare them for the demands of the future.
Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah stressed on the importance of inclusivity through the establishment of multiple pathways in education.
These initiatives include the development of specialised curriculum for students with special needs, the promotion of technical education to cater to industry-driven competencies, and the encouragement of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education.
Project lead for the Youth Town Hall and core team of the YPN Brunei Mohammad Ashmeer Imtiaz Ahmad said the theme for the event was purposely broad to cover two big pillars of Brunei Vision 2035 – education and the economy.
Mohammad Ashmeer shared that dynamic exchanges were made between the minister and participants covering issues such as budget, resources, priorities of the MoE and relevance of the National Education System (SPN), skills for competitiveness, and special needs education stream as part of inclusivity.
“We created platforms such as the Youth Town Hall to enable our youth to engage in national development as part of our advocacy to develop a solution-driven generation, which starts with the understanding of intricacies and challenges to development in education today,” he added.
The Youth Town Hall Brunei was set up in 2020, in conjunction with the National Youth Day, to inculcate a solution-driven, forward thinking mind-set and collaborative youth community who are passionate about contributing to national development by providing the opportunity to interact with ministers and senior officials.
Over 500 youth members took part in yesterday’s town hall.
