James Kon
The Guidebook for Brunei Darussalam School Leadership Standard and Competency Framework was officially launched by Minister of Education Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman yesterday at the ceremony for the School Leaders Convention 2021 at the Plenary Hall, International Convention Centre (ICC), in Berakas.
Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Dr Shamsiah Zuraini Kanchanawati binti Haji Tajuddin said, “The framework represents the MoE’s commitment to support the work and professional growth of school leaders. The journey started in 2015 with the inception of the Brunei School Leadership Standards which set national expectations of recruitment and leadership development for current and aspiring school leaders. This was followed by the establishment of leadership competency framework in February 2019 in recognition of the need to be explicit about the leadership qualities that school leaders require to create and sustain effective leadership and learning environment in school.
“The guidebook consists of the standards and competencies that help school leaders to achieve the national expectation of providing quality education. I encourage school leaders, leadership teams and departments to use this guidebook to enrich conversations linked to performance and development, reviews to promote self-evaluation and reflection and inform the design of leadership development initiatives in school and at the ministry.
“As we usher in the new academic year, I believe many are wondering what school will look in a post-COVID-19 world in which uncertainty is the new normal. Time and again, research has shown that school leadership is a key factor in students’ outcome and well-being. But at a time when the structures and systems of the traditional school model have been completely unravelled, it has reinforced our belief that good leadership continues to become ever more vital.
“Education is perhaps the most important investment that societies can make for their future. This emphasis is clearly reflected in our Vision 2035 where we aspire for Brunei to become widely recognised for the accomplishment of its well-educated and highly skilled people measured by the highest international standards, quality of life that is among top 10 nations in the world, and a dynamic and sustainable economy.”
With the theme of ‘Quality Leaders, Quality Education’, various components have been planned for the two-day convention.
Some 280 participants attended the opening day of the convention, including the head of departments, sections, units and centres under the Ministry of Education, school leaders from government, private and international schools as well as Arabic secondary schools. Another 170 individuals participated in the convention via six satellite venues and received live broadcast.
The programme also features video conferencing with keynote speaker Professor Dame Alison Peacock from The Chartered College of Teaching, United Kingdom.
PHOTO: JAMES KON