“LegCo praises progress. Parents whisper in panic. Nearly 200 CfBT teachers still hold up our English classrooms - but what happens when they’re gone? Will Vision 2035 stumble on words our children cannot read?”
By Malai Hassan Othman | KopiTalk with MHO
Bandar Seri Begawan — In the corridors of Parliament, Datin Seri Setia Dr. Romaizah, the Minister of Education, spoke of progress: better-trained teachers, rising appraisal scores, and new pathways through SHBIE.
On paper, the system is advancing. Yet, in the coffee shops of Gadong, at tuition centres, and in the WhatsApp groups of anxious parents, a different question is being asked: What happens when the CfBT teachers leave?
A confident front, but no timeline in sight
Inside the chamber, the mood was calm. The Minister listed the achievements: the number of teachers rated grade 4 and above has doubled in four years, English literacy is on the rise, and recruitment through Immersion and SHBIE’s Master of Teaching has improved. Parliament nodded.
What was missing was simple: a timeline, a plan, a guarantee. Nearly 200 international English teachers remain. Their departure is certain. The timeline is not.
“2027 will be hell”
Beyond the chamber walls, the tone sharpens. Parents murmur that without a year of shadowing in 2026, classrooms could collapse the following year. One father stated plainly over his teh tarik: “2027 will be hell.”
Teachers share similar concerns. They know that hiring one CfBT teacher costs as much as two or three local teachers. Yet those teachers often anchor entire English departments, train younger staff, and guide students through UK-aligned exams. Cutting their positions saves money, but it may also jeopardise an entire generation of students.
By the Numbers: English in Brunei
Figures speak as loudly as fears. In the 2022 PISA survey, only 58% of 15-year-olds in Brunei reached basic reading proficiency. The OECD average is 74%. Just 2% were top performers - compared to 7% elsewhere. Brunei’s reading score was 429, a step up from 408 in 2018, but still below the world average of 437.
The Ministry’s own survey painted the same picture. In 2022, only 32% of Year 1 to Year 11 students met the English KPI, against a target of 80%. Literacy checks in 2020 showed fewer than half of Year 1 and barely half of Year 3 pupils met minimum standards.
Primary school results climbed to 76% A–C passes in 2021, then fell to 61.1% in 2022. By 2024, they recovered slightly to about 64.5%. At the secondary level, only 41% managed five O-Level credits in 2023. Two-thirds scraped through with three A-Level passes. Progress, yes. But fragile.
When Parliament echoes public concerns
It isn’t only parents who speak of cracks in the system. In a recent sitting, Yang Berhormat Haji Salleh Bostaman asked: “Apakah erti pencapaian akademik jika 1000 ke 1500 pelajar setiap tahun keluar persekolahan masih belum mampu membaca dan mengira dengan baik?” The chamber stirred.
The Minister of Education pushed back firmly, stating that the claim was misleading. Official surveys showed only a few dozen students fell into that category, not over a thousand. She cited the Student Learning Survey 2025: 94% of Year 9 students had literacy proficiency at Band 5 or above, while only 195 Year 1 pupils (5%) were in Band 1.
She also pointed to O-Level results, where 93% of students without credits still passed some subjects, indicating basic literacy and numeracy. She asked him to withdraw the remark. He eventually did.
That exchange revealed something important. The public’s fear of children leaving school without literacy or numeracy is significant enough to surface in Parliament. Yet the government insists the numbers tell a different story. Between perception and policy lies the tension that makes this debate so contentious.
Between pride and pragmatism
The localisation drive carries a patriotic appeal. “Why should we depend on outsiders?” asked one young teacher. The critique of “native-speakerism” is gaining traction. The argument: competence is not stamped on a passport.
Yet parents of exam-year children think otherwise. Their voices are quiet but firm. They don’t demand CfBT forever, but they do want balance — international teachers in the mix until locals are truly ready. “My son’s English paper is Cambridge-marked,” one mother said. “He can’t afford experiments.”
What’s at stake
This is not just a bureaucratic shuffle. For parents, it’s their children’s grades. For graduates, it’s the promise of jobs — provided training keeps pace. For the nation, English is more than a subject. It is the working language of trade, diplomacy, and higher education. Without it, Wawasan 2035 becomes a hollow phrase.
The choice looms: rush localisation and risk failure, keep CfBT unchanged and face criticism, or hold to a middle path — maintain a core of international teachers for exam years and mentoring while scaling up local training.
Still no roadmap
For now, Brunei has blueprints, slogans, and speeches. What it lacks is a roadmap with timelines and targets. Without it, rumours of “defunding in 12 months” will spread, confidence will wane, and the stakes will rise.
Education reflects a nation’s commitment to its future. Handle this transition with care, and Brunei can demonstrate it can reform without sacrificing standards. Mishandle it, and the classrooms of today may become the cautionary tale of tomorrow.
KopiTalk Takeaway:
The CfBT debate is more than numbers on a payroll. It is a test of whether Brunei can manage change wisely — protecting children in today’s classrooms while building a teaching force for tomorrow. (MHO/09/2025)
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