BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) has introduced a new recognition category for students with special needs, reaffirming its commitment to inclusive and equitable education by recognising students based on their achievements, perseverance, dedication and potential according to their individual abilities.
This was highlighted by the Ministry's Acting Director of Islamic Studies, Mariana Jamil, in a welcoming address as the co-chairperson of the MoRA’s Outstanding Students Appreciation Ceremony yesterday.
She said the initiative also acknowledges the determination and resilience of students, ensuring that every achievement receives the recognition it deserves.
Mariana added that the ministry also paid tribute to teachers whose commitment, dedication and sacrifices have played a vital role in nurturing the nation’s future generations, where a total of 42 teachers received the Special Subject Teacher Appreciation Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions at the ceremony.
Recipients comprised five teachers for the Brunei Higher Religious Education Certificate (STPUB) examination, one teacher for the Brunei-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Level examination, nine Pre-STPUB teachers, seven teachers for the Brunei Religious Education Certificate (SPUB) examination, four teachers for the Brunei-Cambridge GCE ‘O’ Level examination, one teacher for the Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) Brunei-Cambridge GCE ‘O’ Level examination, 10 teachers for the Religious Primary Schools Certificate (SSSRU) examination, and one additional teacher for the IRK subject in the Brunei-Cambridge GCE ‘O’ Level examination.
Meanwhile, three schools – one Arabic school and two religious schools – received the Madrasah Mutaqaddimah Award, presented to institutions that achieved the highest overall school assessment scores, an award that aims to encourage the delivery of quality religious education and effective school governance.
Touching on the 2025 public examination results, there have been overall improvements in several examinations, particularly the SSSRU and STPUB examinations, while maintaining consistently high performance in several other public examinations.
Examination results that recorded slight declines compared to the previous year would serve as a catalyst for continuous improvement through more systematic and targeted intervention programmes to further enhance academic performance, said the acting director.
At the departmental level, efforts to strengthen teachers’ competencies will continue, particularly in the areas of pedagogy, assessment, and the delivery of quality, high-impact teaching and learning. To further improve educational outcomes, various initiatives under the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ Strategic Plan will continue to be implemented, including the At-Tarqiah, At-Tatweer and At-Tahsin programmes to strengthen teacher professionalism; the Madrasah Mutaqaddimah (2M), Al-Qiadah, 3K and An-Najah programmes to enhance institutional excellence; and intervention initiatives such as Itqaan, Parent Engagement, Takreem and Student Attendance Monitoring to improve academic achievement, character development and holistic human capital.
On this note, she stressed that the success of these initiatives depends on the continued commitment and collaboration of all stakeholders, including the ministry, departments, schools, teachers, parents and students, to nurture knowledgeable, morally upright and competitive future generations.
Congratulating the award recipients, she expressed hope that the recognition would inspire students and teachers to strive for even greater excellence in the future and thanked parents for their unwavering support, guidance and sacrifices in helping their children achieve academic success. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
