| Wani Roslan |
THE 5th International Conference on Research in Islamic Education and Arabic Language 2018 (ICRIALE 2018), organised by the Malaysian Muslim Intellectual Association (PIMM), Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) and Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), was officially launched yesterday at Tarbiyah Hall of the KUPU SB.
The conference was officiated by guest of honour Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, the Minister of Religious Affairs.
The three-day conference, which ends tomorrow, will see talks being delivered by 130 presenters and the attendance of 220 participants from various education backgrounds, including scholars, experts, academics, researchers, government officials and postgraduates students.
The minister highlighted that Islamic education and Arabic Language are important elements in Brunei’s education framework, components which need to be constantly upgraded and improved upon through the undertaking of appropriate studies.
“With relevant studies, the first aspect is to expose the latest and innovative methods in education including preparation for entering the Industrial Era 4.0. I hope this can be observed in some papers involving subthemes which will be presented [in the conference], with 18 papers on Islamic education, eight papers on Arabic Language, and six papers on contemporary issues,” he said.
“The second aspect is to ensure Islamic education remains relevant in response to the patterns and way of life of individuals and the ever-growing community.”
The minister also stressed that religious and Arabic education have been placed in the mainstream of the national education system and further strengthened by the Compulsory Religious Education Order 2012, which requires Muslim children ages between seven and 14 to attend religious school, making it an offence for parents and guardians who fail to enrol their children into the schools.
The minister added, “It has been shown that the education system in Brunei must include religious subjects and religious schools. In addition, Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) subjects is one of the core subject components at the public school level.
“Therefore, Brunei needs to continuously strive to empower Islamic education including the Arabic Language as a learning medium and source of reference for core Islamic education.”
For Islamic education schooling (religious and Arabic streams), the minister said it is within the scope of the national education system in Brunei, where from the beginning it had been intended to educate the people on religious matters and the Arabic Language while meshing seamlessly with modern education.
With the theme ‘Transformation of Islamic Education in Industrial Era 4.0’, the conference will emphasise current automation and data exchange trends in manufacturing technology, including cyber-physical systems, Internet, and cloud computing.
Industry 4.0, meanwhile, depicts the ‘smart factory’ concept, which involves promoting the role of Islamic education in building the ummah in the context of the Islamic community.
The main purpose of the conference is to provide the opportunity for academics, researchers, experts and students to share their opinions and findings related to Islamic education and the Arabic Language. The event is part of initiatives made to increase the relevance of Islamic education and the Arabic Language in facing fresh challenges of the new Industry 4.0 era.
Participants of the conference will have the chance to present their research findings in Islamic education and Arabic Language fields. They will hold discussions on issues and suggesting contemporary ideas, debate models of Islamic education and Arabic Language as well as come up with alternatives in the analysis and exchange of views on the two fields. They will also be able to network and initiate future cooperative collaborations with their fellow peers.
Also participating were Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs; Ustaz Haji Mohd Seruddin bin Haji Timbang, Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA); Dr Haji Adanan bin Haji Basar, Acting Ra’es of KUPU SB; Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, Rector of UNISSA; Professor Dato Dr Abdul Halim Tamuri, President of PIMM; Roslan bin Haji Taja’ah, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Administrative and Financial Affairs) at the MoRA; as well as senior officials and lecturers of KUPU SB and UNISSA.
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