The Bilingual Education Policy of Negara Brunei Darussalam: some implemental considerations

Abstract

Brunei is a multi-racial and multi-lingual society. However, as an analysis of the population and languages spoken reveals, Malays and the Malay language play the most dominant role. Malays constitute 65% of the population; other indigenous groups 8%; Chinese 20%; Europeans, Indians and other races 78 (Nothover 1987). The languages that can be heard spoken in Brunei are Malay, English, various Chinese languages and the languages of the different indigenous people - Dusun, Iban, Murut, Tutong and Belait. One factor complicating the linguistic situation in Brunei is the nature of the Malay language used in the country. Under the broad umbrella of 'Malay' we have various dialects: Kedayan (Kadayan), spoken by approximately 30,000 people; Kampong Ayer, spoken by 25,000 people and Brunei Malay, spoken by 85,000 people. Therefore, although Standard Malay (Bahasa Melayu) is the official national language in the constitution it is not the preferred variety of Malay for the majority of Brunei's Malay speakers. It was onto this linguistic background that a bilingual system of education, Dwibahasa (two languages) as it is known in Brunei, was introduced in 1985 with the languages of instruction being Malay and English. The Introduction of a Bilingual Education System Brunei's adoption of a bilingual education system has its origins in the 1972 Report of the Brunei Education Commission. This Commission recommended that the country's paramount education aims should include: (i) to make Malay the main medium of instruction in National Primary and Secondary schools as soon as possible in line with the requirement of the constitution. (ii) to raise the standard of the usage of English in the primary and secondary schools in the country. (Brunei Government Publication, 1972:4)