| Rokiah Mahmud |
SINCE the implementation of the Compulsory Religious Education Order 2012, there has been a significant increase in the number of students attending religious school, said the Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman.
“The Order has made it mandatory for every Muslim child between seven and 15 years to attend religious school,” he reminded while speaking to the Bulletin on the sidelines of a working visit to Pengiran Anak Puteri Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah Religious School in Kampong Kilanas yesterday.
If parents face any difficulty in registering their children at religious schools, they should seek assistance from the Department of Islamic Studies, he added.
It is essential to raise awareness among parents and guardians on the importance of sending their children to religious school, the minister noted.
The minister visited the school as part of a series of visits he has planned to make to religious education institutions in the country.
The visit aimed to observe the enrolment of new students to the religious school as well as to monitor the fresh batch of pre-school students who started their religious education yesterday for academic year 2018.
Currently, 37,748 students are attending religious schools nationwide, while 5,254 are undergoing pre-school religious education of which 40 are non-Muslim students and two are special needs students.
For the 2018 academic year, the Pengiran Anak Puteri Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah Religious School has 21 students in the morning session and 45 in the afternoon session attending pre-school religious education. Among them include Primary 1 Alif student Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Raihaanah Hanaa-Ul Bolqiah binti Pengiran Anak Khairul Khalil, the granddaughter of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
Accompanying the minister during the visit was Haji Mohd Seruddin bin Haji Timbang, Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Upon arrival at the school, the minister was welcomed by Maladiah binti Liman, Headmistress of Pengiran Anak Puteri Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah Religious School, senior officials at the Department of Islamic Studies as well as teachers and staff of the school.
The school has 11 religious teachers and 144 students in the morning session, and 18 teachers and 379 students (from pre-school to Primary 6) in the afternoon session.
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