BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE students of Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah College (Maktab Duli) have shown improvement in their academic performance since the launch of the Traffic Light System in 2013.

The Traffic Light System is the college’s initiative programme for students to further improve their performance by categorising the students based on their achievement of tariff points into the colours of the traffic lights.

Green indicates that their grades are good, yellow indicates that their grades are good but still vulnerable, while red means the students must improve to ensure they have acceptable grades to apply for further education.

Maktab Duli’s principal, Hj Juma’ata Sonadey Hj Mornie told The Brunei Times that the implementation of the system had led to an over 50 per cent improvement in grades every year from the Upper Six students.

The students under the red category are made to join the Student Mentorship Programme (SMP).

The SMP is a sub-programme under the system for students to meet up with their allocated mentor how to improve their grades through using the students’ strengths.

“The system is also to inspire and motivate them to improve by having a teacher and a student mentorship,” Hj Juma’ata said.

“The teachers (mentors) will look at every detail to help the students improve, by speaking to them casually and inspire them to achieve greater heights,” he added.

In 2014, 67 upper six students took part in the SMP; and as a result 60 of them improved and achieved better exam results.

“The students, parents and teachers are happy with the programme and system because they understand that it does improve the students’ skills and character,” Hj Juma’ata said.

He said that while some parents felt that the system was labelling the students, he said that the school was not labelling students. Instead, the school was categorising students based on their strengths and to help them achieve their potential.

“There are some parents and students who feel hurt or embarrassed, but the system is not labelling them. We are doing this to help them improve further,” he said.

The Brunei Times