Open learning and distance education in Brunei Darussalam
- Open learning and distance education has not established any significant inroads as alternative modes of accessing education in Brunei Darussalam. The need for open learning and distance education is not as significant as in other SEAMEO member countries. This could be attributed to the smallness of Brunei Darussalam in terms of its geographical area and population size, as well as to its favourable and accommodating educational infrastructure and policy that allow ample opportunities for Bruneians to access education in the conventional way.
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Nonetheless, despite the absence of any substantive plan to adopt open learning and distance education, Brunei Darussalam, in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning, successfully hosted the First Pan Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning on 1st to 5th March, 1999.
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In an age of rapid global developments in business and technology, there may come a time when open learning may serve useful purposes in Brunei Darussalam, such as to provide professional development or in-service training without losing the services of the incumbents while they are on training, and at a lesser cost. Open learning will enable the workforce not only to keep abreast of recent developments in their field but also be trained for upgrading purposes. Thus serving teachers and workers in health, vocational and technical fields, and information technology can be retrained in the use of new technological tools and upgrade their professional skills. Small-sized universities can rely on open learning to transmit knowledge at a lower recurrent cost in their undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
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However, at this stage, Brunei Darussalam continues to observe and evaluate how other countries progress and benefit from their open learning and distance education programs.
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