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Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2023
The upper secondary level is split
into three programmes. The first is
the General Secondary Education
Programme, split into two categories:
Express (two years) or Normal (three
years). Second is the Applied Secondary
Education Programme, lasting three
years. In both programmes, students
sit for the Brunei Cambridge General
Certificate of Education (BC GCE) ‘O’
Level and IGCSE. Third is the Special
Applied Programme, which follows a
different pathway. Students enrol into
Pearson Business and Technology
Education Council Programme gearing
students towards vocational and
technical education. Students with
special needs and learning difficulties
have a curriculum adapted to their
abilities based on the individualised
education plan and remedial education
plan.
Private schools follow the national
curriculum but may have additional
subjects or a different emphasis on
certain subjects.
Recovering from
COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has had
a significant impact on education
systems around the world, with many
schools and universities transitioning
to online or distance learning in order
to reduce the spread of the virus since
2020. As countries around the world
began emerging from the pandemic
and vaccine rollout gathered pace,
face-to-face
schooling
started
resuming in phases.
Following months of online or home-
based learning for most of 2021 and
the earlymonths of 2022, Brunei began
face-to-face learning at public, private
and international schools in April
2022. Special recommendation was
given for any educational institution
that wished to conduct teaching and
learning via online or home-based
learning.
Children aged five to 11 began face-to-
face learning in May 2022 regardless
of vaccination status with the
decline of COVID-19 infections in the
country. Permission was also given to
international schools to begin face-to-