BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Ministry of Education (MoE) said it constantly monitors registered training organisations through external moderators to ensure their curriculum and assessment are of quality and in accordance with government policies.

The Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational Education Council (BDTVEC) said it communicates with the relevant institution to assist in strengthening their quality framework and proposes improvement when an institution does not meet the ministry’s standards.

It was not stated in the press release whether any training institutions failed to comply with the government’s standards.

The ministry supports training institutions found to be non-compliant with quality standards by providing guidance to ensure all criteria are met before allowing them to offer, or continue offering programmes, BDTVEC Executive Secretary Hjh Fatimah Hj Ismail was quoted as saying in the statement.

She added that this was to ensure students enrolled in the institutions are taught and trained appropriately.

Likewise, the students must undergo consistent marking or assessment schemes.

“In a situation where an institution faces such issues, we will work closely with the institution to assist in ensuring issues are overcome and the institution can resume their BDTVEC programmes as soon as possible,” Hjh Fatimah continued.

The council is one of the certifying bodies for technical and vocational education programmes in Brunei. It has also been given the mandate to ensure the quality of vocational and technical education is upheld at all institutions.

Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) Chief Executive Officer Dr Chin Wei Keh said a committee checks student assessment results to ensure the marking is consistent with the council’s procedures.

This is then brought forward to the the council for endorsement, he said.

In its statement, BDTVEC said it was important for every institution to have a “quality assurance framework in place”, as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes were “demand-driven” and needed to be of high quality.

“TVET programmes produce highly skilled graduates that are marketable, and quality remains the hallmark of excellence and effectiveness in technical and vocational education,” the council said.

The Brunei Times