Education

In 1919, Mr. G.E. Cator (this is where Jalan Cator came from and it is not derived from the Malay word for Chess), the British Resident in Brunei wrote in the 1919 Brunei Annual Report about education in Brunei:-

"61. The school at Tutong proved unexpectedly popular and efficient. Tutong children appear to be generally more intelligent than the Bruneis."

I am not trying to generate an inter-district rivalry but it is certainly interesting to note such a comment and coming from an outsider. Of course in those days, there were not many children going to school. Up to 1920s, the British Resident was still arguing that compulsory education would not be popular. In fact, schools in Belait and Tutong only opened the previous year in 1918. And by 1919, the Tutong children impressed the British Resident so much that he put that in his report.

Today we do not have a district education comparison, at least, not in public. I don't know whether such a comparison would still be apt today given the much changing social mobility and social structure. But if there was such a comparison, I wonder whether we could say any district's children would be any much more intelligent than the other districts. Interesting thought that...

Comments

Pg Runa said…
Brunei society is rather small and ethnic segregation is perhaps insignificant nowadays due to as you said 'social mobility'. Once in the 90's the 'Orang Tutong' dominates the upper management scene particularly in the govt sector. 'They' did not forget their root and promote their own 'Orang' to be with them because of trust worthiness, ease of communication and probably IQ too as some of them said: 'Tutong rulez'. Am i making sense here?...p/s I m not Orang Tutong....
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 8:33:00 AM
thrumyeyes said…
Good observation. Even during my time in the what was known at that time as Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Teachers Training College in mid 80s most of the local lecturers and teacher trainees were from Tutong. Someone said even in BSP they was a period when there were lot more of "them" recruited. But as you said, the 'social mobility' may have lessen this but then nobody did a proper study.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 10:45:00 AM
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