STEP FORWARD - 5th Issue

THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT PARTNERSHIP CENTRE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

STEP FORWARD Dec 2008

Issue : 5

Inside

STEP Newsletter

Tel/Fax : 2335963. E-mail: [email protected]

STEP Centre @ Teachers’ Day Exhibitions

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam consented to grace the 18th National Teachers' Day Celebration 2 0 0 8 , t h e m e d ' G u r u Pembentuk Tunas Bangsa' or 'Teachers' Shape the Nation's Youth' held at the Plenary Hall, International Convention Centre.

Four special booths were set up for the various achievements in education, namely: • Technical and Vocational Education • Efforts on Mathematics, Science and English Language • Excellent Students • International Participation STEP Centre was given the opportunity to participate in the exhibition. Among those displayed by STEP Centre were the winners of the RoboTech Competion, the Brunei Robotics Olympiad (BRO) and the PPPS (Program Peningkatan Pencapaian Sains) or ‘The Science Achievement Enhancement Programme’ for the Secondary and Primary levels.

By: Zulbahri Achee

Brunei Robotics Olympiad 2009 (BRO) [See page 3]

Two students bring home bronze at IMC, Chiang Mai, Thailand [See page 6]

Brunei awarded with special award at IRO, KL, Malaysia. [See page 8]

SPE Paper contest [See page 27]

His Majesty listening to the explanation from Cikgu Alinormin on how the LEGO Robots work

STEP FORWARD Messages

Foreword from The Acting Head of STEP Centre Hj Metali bin Hj Mirasan

Editorial Board Patron Datin Paduka Dayang Apsah binti Hj Abdul Majid Permanent Secretary [Core Education] Ministry of Education. Advisor Awang Hj Metali bin Hj Mirasan Acting Head of STEP Centre Chief Editor Awang Zulbahri bin Achee Education Officer, STEP Centre. Editors Dayang Sarimah binti Abu Bakar Senior Education Officer, STEP Centre.

Awang Nor Erawadi bin Haji Ibrahim Senior Education Officer, STEP Centre. Awang Azahan bin Hj Abd Wahab Education Officer, STEP Centre. Awang Hj Fadzil bin Hj Mohd Salleh Education Officer, STEP Centre. Dayang Satinah binti Hj Abang Education Officer, STEP Centre. Awang Syed Rozman bin Syed Hj Abd Rahim Education Officer, STEP Centre.

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Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Dear Readers

Welcome to the 5th issue of STEP FORWARD. This issue will provide details about some of the activities and programmes carried out by the Science, Technology & Environment Partnership Centre (STEP) throughout the 2nd half of the year 2008.

Under the Science Enrichment Programmes (Secondary), Sekolah Menengah Awang Semaun organised study visits for Menengah 2 students to Mangkabau Dam in Mentiri, and Tasik Merimbun Heritage Park,Tutong, on 9th August 2008. As our annual projects, we organised the ROBOTECH Competition, on 20th August 2008 at Sekolah Menengah Berakas, and the BRUNEI ROBOTICS OLYMPIADS on 28th August 2008, at Sekolah Menengah PAP Hajah Masna. We continued to work closely with non- governmental organisations i.e. Tech Challenge with Oil & Gas Discovery Centre (OGDC) on 30th July and 4th August 2008, and an Essay Writing Competition with Society Petroleum Engineers (SPE). Together with the Human Resources Development Section, the Scholarship Section and the Principal Committee (JAPTIM) we successfully organised ' Ramah Mesra Hari Raya' for the Ministry of Education on 24th October 2008. On religious side we managed to organise 'Khatam Al Quran' on 25th September 2008 and 'Majlis Korban' on 9th December 2008 for officers and staff of the centre. Lastly, I would like to thank The Permenant Secretary (Core Education), and the Director General for their invaluable advice and support, as well as Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd for their continuous financial support. Wassalam.

STEP Centre was given the task by the Ministry of Education and Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd to review the EXPLOMATHS and INFORAMA Competitions.

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NATIONAL LEVEL BRUNEI ROBOTIC OLYMPIAD (BRO) 2008

By: Azahan Hj Abd Wahab

Sekolah Menengah Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam (SMJA) and Sekolah Rendah Binturan emerged as the champions for the Brunei Robotic Olympiad 2008. SM SMJA won the Smash Triathlon category (Secondary level) after defeating 31 other teams whereas SR Binturan won first place out of a total of 27 teams for the Base Runner category (Primary level). The competition was held on 28th August 2008 at the Multipurpose Hall, Pg Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School.

Present as Guest of Honour was Awangku Abdullah bin Pengiran Haji Tengah, Director of Curriculum Development, Ministry of Education. In his speech, he hoped that through this competition, students will able to produce, build and create their own robots. With the introduction of ‘Design dan Technology’ as a subject in the new education system, Sistem Pendidikan Negara 21(SPN 21) he hoped that, it will increase the opportunity for students to increase their technical know-how in the robotic world.

Champions in both categories received a cash prize of $400 each, individual trophies, certificates and a trophy for the team. The 1st runner-up were to Sekolah Menengah Sultan Hassan, Temburong and Sekolah Rendah Muhammad Alam, Seria. These schools also received a cash prize of $300 each, individual trophies, certificates and a team trophy. Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim from Tutong and Sekolah Rendah Junjongan came third. Each school received a cash prize of $200, certificates, individual trophies and team trophies.

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LOMBOK EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNG BRUNEI OLYMPIAD STUDENTS

By: Nor Erawadi Haji Ibrahim

2008 was the fifth year that STEP co-ordinated Brunei’s participation in the International Mathematics And Science Olympiad for Primary Schools (IMSO) in Indonesia. The Brunei primary 6 contingent this time was located in Lombok Island, Indonesia from 8th to 16th November 2008. This Olympiad was organised by the Ministry of National Education, Republic of Indonesia and was the first time it was held away from the capital city, Jakarta. Once again, we triumphed by winning a bronze medal for Science. Lim Sye Torng, a primary 6 student from St Andrew’s School was our sole medal recipient. Elated she said, “When my name was announced as one of the winners, I was very happy and I couldn’t believe it! I am very thankful that I had not wasted the last 3 months training hard with STEP Centre and the teachers.”

The Brunei contingent consisting of 3 science and 3 mathematics participants gave their best effort in the olympiad. The students who represented Mathematics were Raifanna binti Haji A. Buntar from Sekolah Rendah Bebuloh, Mohd. Hafiy Rusyduddin bin Abdul Hadi from Yayasan SHHB School and Jessica Kok Pei Chii from Chung Hwa School, BSB. The students who represented science were Mohd Khairurrijal Hazim Hj Abd Momin from Yayasan SHHB School, Lim Sye Torng from St. Andrew’s School, BSB and Nur Azyyati Haziqah binti Haji Mohamad from PGGMB School, Sungai Akar.

The delegation was led by myself and accompanied by Cikgu Maimunah binti Abdul Ghani, an Education Officer from Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Tutong Secondary School as Mathematic Tutor and Dayangku Hjh Fatriah binti Pengiran Haji Bujang, an education officer from Sayyidina Abu Bakar Secondary School as Science Tutor.

The Brunei delegation consisting of parents and students cheered after the prize presentation ceremony

According to Mohd Hafiy “It has been an exciting and memo-rable trip for me as it was fun because I got to hang out with Hazim, my classmate and my four other wonderful friends, Jessica, Lim, Haziqah and Raifanna, whom I had come to know and trained with for the last three months.” He added, “Thank you to STEP for giving me the chance to go for this IMSO trip. Last but not least, thank you to Cikgu Erawadi, Cikgu Maimunah, Cikgu Fatriyah, Cikgu Norliza, Cikgu Suriayanti, Teacher Stefanie, Cikgu Saidin and Teacher Nana for the training, knowledge and support given to me.” Meanwhile Hazim commented on the papers, “Theory paper One was OK but theory paper Two was very, very, very hard!. Even though I felt disappointed because I did not get any medals, I felt happy for my friend who got bronze.”

Lim, Hafiy, Hazim, Raifanna and Haziqah (from left to right) in high. Jessica was sick on that day and was resting in her room

Knowing Lombok Apart from participating in the Olympiad, the Brunei students garnered new information and experiences about the people and livelihood of the Lombok island community. Lombok is fast becoming Indonesia’s favourite tourist destination like Bali, which is located just opposite the island. In Lombok, one could go diving, snorkeling, surfing, sailing or simply relax around. The main beach areas are Senggigi beach in the north and Kuta beach in the south.

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The capital city is called Mataram City. Even though there was Hindu influence of Java-Bali history, the local community is predominantly Malay Muslims with mosques (moshala) built within each village. The traditional arts, music and dance very much use gendang belek, rebana and hadrah similar to our very own local instruments in Brunei.

Mataram City has a population of about 350,000 – similar to Brunei. The whole of Lombok has about 4 million people. The indigenous people of Lombok are called Sasak. Travelling on the roads of Lombok, one can see hectares of padi fields with scenic volcanic mountain range in the background. The highest mountain in Lombok, Mount Rinjani, 3726 m, is the second highest mountain in the whole of Indonesia and is famous for trekking. The main economic activity is agriculture especially rice-growing. The delegation had an opportunity to visit a local pottery factory in the Banyumulek area, a local museum housing crafts and clothes of ancient royal rulers, a local Lombok theater in Sayang-Sayang area, a local ancient park called Mayura Garden and a Water Palace and a cloth-weaving activity in a village in the Sukarara area. There were just a lot of active craftswork in Lombok. Altogether, around 120 contestants competed in the olympiad. Apart from Brunei Darussalam, they came from Chinese-Taipei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Nigeria, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Hong kong, and Indonesia. The STEP Centre, Ministry of Education, as the co-ordinating body, congratulate the students, teachers and tutors as well as their parents for their encouragement and continuous support throughout the process of the Olympiad.

Lim Sye Torng’s proud moment after receiving the bronze medal from the Mayor of Mataram City in the presence of Indonesian Education Ministry officials.

Our two boys actually sang “live” while the girls danced in the background during the country cultural performance!

The Brunei students also mingled with their new friends from Sri Lanka and Malaysia as they took a picture at the Santosa Resort lobby.

The Opening Ceremony in its grandeur was witnessed by thousands of Lombok locals in Mataram City! Our students were paraded into the local padang led by Pak Rana, the ever-friendly liaison officer for the Brunei delegation.

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Primary and Secondary Students in IMC, Chiang Mai 2008 By: Syed Rozman

Two local students did Brunei proud when they won Bronze medals for the Upper Primary category in the International Mathematics Competition (IMC) 2008 which took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 24th – 31st October 2008. This year the competition was organised by the Bureau of Educational Innovation, Ministry of Education, Thailand. The winners were Awangku Muhammad Al-Ameen Bin Pengiran Mohd. Yani from Sekolah Tunas Jaya PGGMB, Lambak and Dayang Lim Jia Ying from Sekolah St. Andrew, BSB. Both from the Upper Primary Category.

The objectives of this competition were: • to organize an international mathematics competition for upper primary education (Key stage II) and lower

secondary education (Key stage III) students. • to motivate students and teachers to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and high-order

thinking skills. • to establish cooperation networks of international mathematics improvement. • to provide students with opportunities to exchange mathematics knowledge and practice, and cultural

experiences among participating cities and countries. • to upgrade school curriculum concerning mathematics to international standards.

Ak Muhammad Al-Ameen Bin Pg Mohd. Yani Lim Jia Ying

There were two categories: Upper Primary Category and Lower Secondary Category. There were four students from each category. Two other students in the Upper Primary Category were Dayang Leong Chie Hui from Sekolah St. George, BSB and Dayang Nurhazimah binti Awang Mahmud, from Sekolah Sunshine, Gadong. Another four took part in the Lower Secondary category and they were Dayang Chin Le Hui from Sekolah Menengah Pengiran Jaya Negara Pg. Haji Abu Bakar and the others were from Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan; Dayang Radin Mas Sofiyahwati binti Radin Mas Mohamad Sufri, Dayang Nurul Bahriah Afiqah binti Haji Matali and Awang Han Tzuen Chour

Visit at Maesa Elephant Training Centre Northern Style Dinner Party at Khum Khantok

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The Brunei delegation was led by Cikgu Satinah bte Hj Abang, an Education Officer from STEP Centre. Also accompanying the students were Cikgu Syed Rozman bin Hj Syed Abd Rahim, an education officer from STEP Centre; Cikgu Yus Sandera binti Md. Hassan, an Education Officer from Maktab Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah; and Cikgu Stephanie Lee Mei Hui, an Education Officer from Sekolah Menengah Sultan Sharif Ali

Group photo of Brunei Team

Brunei students competed against participants from 24 other countries which included Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Germany, Hong kong, India , Iran , Korea, Laos, the Netherland, Nigeria, Rwanda, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines. There were 224 participants in the Upper Primary Category; and 260 participants in the Lower Secondary category. Students representing Brunei were among the winners of the national-level competition held in February 2008 organised by STEP Centre supported by Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd.

Visit at Chiang Mai Zoo Brunei’s Exhibition Booth

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BRUNEI STUDENTS BRING MEDALS FROM THE 10th INTERNATIONAL ROBOT OLYMPIAD (IRO) 2008

By: Azahan Hj Abd Wahab

The 10th International Robot Olympiad (IRO) 2008 was held at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Kuala Lumpur from 17th-21st December 2008. The competition was hosted by the International Robot Olympiad Committee (IROC) and organised by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA). ‘Serving Humanity through Intelligent Robotic System’ was the theme for the competition.

A total of over 700 participants from 8 countries participated in the competition and which was considered to be one of the largest robot events for the youngsters. Other participating countries were China, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Two teams represented Negara Brunei Darussalam i.e Sekolah Rendah Binturan, and Sekolah Menengah Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam (SMJA). Both teams participated in the Rolling Ball Maze Solving, Cart Rolling Ball Maze Solving and Legged Robot Race Games for the primary and secondary levels. The teams took part in 6 different categories out of more than 20 competed categories.

The students from SR Binturan were: 1. Khairul Amirul bin Mohammad Adnani 2. Aiman Hafizul Akram bin Muhd Waffe 3. Mohammad Najib bin Abdul Manaf And from SM SMJA were : 1. Abdul Malek bin Manap 2. Amiratul Akmal binti Alimin 3. Siti Nursakinah Afiqah bte Hj Zulkifli

The teams were accompanied and supervised by their teachers, Cikgu Samri bin Hj Jumat from SM SMJA, Cikgu Alinomin bin Hj Omarali from SR Binturan and two STEP Officers , Dyg Satinah binti Hj Abang and Awg Azahan bin Hj Abdul Wahab as the Head of Delegation.

4 out of the 6 students received special awards from 4 different categories. They were Aiman Hafizul Akram from SR Binturan for the Rolling Ball Maze Solving Junior League, Abdul Malek from SM SMJA for the Rolling Ball Maze Solving Challenge League Amiratul Akmal grasped another medal for the Cart Rolling Ball Maze Solving Challenge League and Siti Nursakinah Afiqah pairing with Amiratul Akmal received another medal in the Legged Robot Race Challenge League. Special Award medals were given to students who showed outstanding talent in various skills such as creativity in designing, speed in building up and testing the robots and programming their own robot during the competition. Only 3 to 5 participants from each category were given this Special Award.

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3rd Tech Challenge Competition 2009 By: Zulbahri Achee

The third Oil and Gas Discovery Centre (OGDC) National Tech Challenge competition was held at OGDC, Seria. Out of 37 schools which took part in the preliminary round, only 10 teams went through to the finals. The competition was organised in partnership with the Science Technology, Environment Partnership (STEP) Centre at the Ministry of Education and the Faculty of Science at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. This year's competition was themed "Earth day".

Two tasks were given during the final competition, the first was that the students were asked to create a machine which can run on water power and the second task was to build a hydropower system capable of lifting a cup filled with marbles. The students were given styrofoam cups, plastic spoons, cellotape, threads and little sticks as raw materials.

Berakas Secondary School was crowned the winner, while Pengiran Dipa Negara Pg Jaya Sengkarai Secondary School emerged as first runner-up and Sayyidina Ali Secondary School as second runner-up.

The guest of honour during the function, Dayang Hjh Masni Hj Munir, External Affairs Advisor at Brunei Shell Petroleum, in her speech said, the students who participated in the competition were exposed to the joy of science through hands-on activities.

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SHOWCASING STEP CENTRE DURING INFORAMA CARNIVAL 2008


STEP Centre was invited to participate in the INFORAMA Carnival 2008 held and organised by Sekolah Menengah Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Rashidah Saadatul Bolkiah in Lumut. The two day carnival was held in the Multi-Purpose Hall of the school. During the opening ceremony on 11th August 2008, the guest-of-honour Cikgu Hajah Norjum binti Hj Yusop, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Corporate Services), Ministry of Education spent the whole morning going through each booth and mingling with the participants in the exhibition. Most of the booths showcased ICT-related activities and projects by various schools as well as departments within SMPAPH Rashidah itself.

STEP Centre was represented by Syed Rozman and myself and with the assistance of Muhd Khirul Hazwan, a Jerudong International School student. Hazwan was invited to demonstrate to the visitors the ASEAN Quest PC game, which was introduced in July 2008 in the Philippines by the ASEAN Foundation. Apart from the game, STEP also put up some information banners, achievements won by students who represented Brunei in overseas programmes and outdoor value-added activities which have been organised for some time.

We also gave away our latest edition of the STEP Forward Newsletter to the students and teachers who visited our booths. Syed Rozman explained and demonstrated the Lego Mindstorm robots to interested visitors. The carnival was a good opportunity for the public especially those from Belait District to know more about STEP Centre and its activities.

Syed Rozman and myself in front of STEP Centre’s booths Syed Rozman demonstrated the line reading Lego Mindstorm robot as watched by eager students and teachers.

Cikgu Hajah Norjum binti Hj Yusop, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Corporate Services), Ministry of Education, took interest in the interactive

ASEAN Quest game as demonstrated by Muhd Hazwan (seated).

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The 5th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) By: Syed Rozman

Brunei Darussalam’s third participation at the 5th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) has achieved the best results to date, with four out of six of its students winning bronze medals, the highest number of medals received so far. The four bronze medalist who did the nation proud were Muhammad Zulfadli bin Ramli of Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim, Abdul Qawi bin Abdullah of Sekolah Menengah Sultan Sharif Ali, Wong Kuo Hern of Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan and Lee Wan Wei of St Andrew’s School. The two other students who participated in the competition were Mohammad Faris ’Izzuddin bin Dr Haji Supry of Sekolah Menengah Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Siti Aniza binti Naim of Sekolah Menengah PAP Hajah Masna.

Sitting for the Exam At the Closing Ceremony On Stage during the Award Presentation

The Brunei delegation was led by Awg Syed Rozman bin Hj Syed Abd Rahim, Education Officer from STEP Centre, Awg Chong Yun Onn, Education Officer from Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan and Dk Hasnimulyati binti Pg Hj Kahar, Education Officer from Sekolah Menengah Pengiran Dipa Negara Sengkarai, Tutong. 246 students from 42 different countries participated in the 5th IJSO which was held in Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea from 7th to 16th December 2008. The countries included Afghanistan, Argentina Australia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Estonia, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Nigeria, the Philippines, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

All the six students were amongst the eligible winners of the Brunei Secondary School Science Olympiad (SSSO) which were held in early February 2008 and organised by STEP Centre. The students did their trainings twice a week since August this year at STEP Centre. The frequency of the training increased during the third term holidays. They also did some of their practicals at Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan and Sekolah Menengah Sultan Sharif Ali. Several other teachers were also involved in the trainings. They were Cikgu Zurina bte Hj Ismail from Sekolah Menengah Sayidina Abu Bakar, Cikgu Pg Abd Raub bin Pg Hj Ghani from Sekolah Menengah Berakas, Cikgu Azahar bin Hj Abd Latib from Pusat Tingkatan Enam Berakas, Cikgu Chew Ying Ngo from Examination Department and Cikgu Dk Nuramani binti Pg Hj Ahmad from Sekolah Menengah Sharif Ali.

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Each student performed three tasks. Questions for Task One included pure Physics (10 problems), Biology (10 Problems) and Chemistry (10 problems). Task Two was more complex involving a combination of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Task Three involved experimental questions; a combination of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Task One and Two were individual competitions. However Task Three was a team competition, whereby one team consisted of three students from each delegation.

IJSO is the premier junior scientific competition in the world for 15 year-old students. It isn’t just science competition, it is a chance to expand their horizons and create life long friendships with the future scientists from around the world.

Remarks From IJSO Participants

Muhammad Zulfadli bin Ramli IJSO Bronze Medalist

IJSO created plenty of unforgettable moments that I personally label as the best so far. Throughout the ten day stay in Korea I experienced many things which were very new to me. That was my first time separated away from my close family, especially my parents. It was valuable as it helped me discipline myself without asking for their support. But the best thing was making bonds of friendship with the other participants, regardless of race and religion. With these, I learned a lot about their personalities, ways of life and culture, and so did they. To memorialise the friendship, we exchanged name cards, emails and even souvenirs.

Not only did I collect experiences, but the competition also shaped my mind and shed new lights on science. It taught me that everywhere is science, from body cells to supernovas. There are actually infinite knowledge of it, only waiting to be learned by us. When the MC during the Closing Ceremony announced my name as one of the bronze medalists, I was immensely happy. Although as many as 60% of the participants would receive the medals, the problems were very tough. I thought my effort and encouragement from my family, school and STEP Centre had finally paid off. As a whole, the IJSO 2008 was conclusively positive. It opened my mind to the ways the global community thinks. I would also like to praise the organiser for making the event successful. Kamsa-Hamida!

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Remarks From The Participants

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Remarks From IJSO Participants

Lee Wan Wei IJSO Bronze Medalist

Last year, I was selected together with five other students to represent Brunei for the International Junior Science Olympiad which was held in Gyeongnam, Korea. Upon hearing the news, I was filled with excitement and joy. However, it also meant that I needed to work harder as I was competing with students from other countries.

I was very surprised and delighted when I was announced as the bronze medalist. What I liked best about IJSO was when I got to meet a lot of new friends from different countries. I also got the opportunity to tour around Gyeongnam. My experience at IJSO has certainly changed the way I think about Science as it provided me with a greater exposure to the different areas in Science.

Overall, it was indeed a very challenging and exciting experience which I’ll never forget.

Abdul Qawi bin Abdullah IJSO Bronze Medalist

The IJSO 2008 was the best thing that had ever happened to me so far. I have gained a lot of knowledge and friends during the IJSO 2008. I got on a plane and visited Korea for the first time due to the IJSO competition. I also made friends from around the world and learned form five’s science in advance. Some of the topics that I learned in the STEP centre for the IJSO had just been taught by my teachers at school this year. The IJSO 2008 competition has completely changed the way I think about science!! It taught me that science is everywhere and that science is more than what I’ve learned in school!! The IJSO 2008 didn’t just give me the chance to learn science in advance, but also gave me the chance to experience the culture of Korea!! When it was announced that I won a bronze medal, I was shocked. I never thought that I could win a medal as the competition was very hard. Harder than I thought it would be. Nevertheless, I gained a lot of experience during the IJSO 2008. Thank you STEP centre for choosing me to participate in the IJSO 2008!!

Remarks From The Participants

Siti Aniza binti Naim

Producing more young scientists and building up students’ interest in Science were not the only objectives of the IJSO Competition. What I liked best was they encouraged us to build friendships between ourselves and people from different countries around the world who has the same interest as ourselves, particularly in Science. Throughout the competition, we hardly met our teachers. From there, I learned how to live independently and to adapt to the new environment and surroundings there. IJSO has changed my thoughts about Science. Science is very important in our life and may also affect our future. Being selected to enter this competition really did make me happy and honoured as it is not easy to get this kind of opportunity. Lastly, although I failed to get a medal, I will not give up that easily in Science as success will come along after failure where we learn from our previous mistakes. And this is one of the things that I learned from the IJSO Competition.

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EMPOWERING BRUNEI YOUTHS IN AN ASEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT By: Nor Erawadi Hj Ibrahim

Four of our Form 6 students had the opportunity to meet other ASEAN youths during the Asean Youth Science Summit (AYSS) held in Manila, the Philippines from July 7th to 11th 2008. The summit held in Traders Hotel, Manila was part of the 8th Asean Science and Technology Week (ASTW). Our delegation was a collaborative co-ordination by STEP Centre and the Research and Development Unit, Ministry of Development, Brunei Darussalam. Other adjoining programmes included the Science and Technology (S&T) ministers’ meeting as well as a public exhibition on S&T held in Sofitel Hotel and World Trade Centre, Manila respectively.

The summit was one of many initiatives to engage and empower the youths in discussing relevant forum topics. The four students – Ahmad Bokhari Hj Mohd Sufian and Nurul Adilah Hj Abu Bakar both from Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan, Muhd Khirul Hazwan Jaton from Sekolah Menengah Sayyidina Ali and Nur Saidah Athirah Othman from Maktab Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah – were joined by youths from other ASEAN countries plus India and China.

Forum Debates Each of our students joined different forum groups. Mimicking the general assembly form of debates, each cohort must agree on specific resolutions. Bokhari participated in the forum: Going Nuclear. His group talked about the issue of “Utilization and Feasibility of Nuclear Energy as a Major Source of Power for the Future of Asean”. The fast depletion of non-renewable resources, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, current fuel price hike and high cost of food has made nuclear energy as a viable option. For this to be realised, a common agreement must be passed by all nations with relevant organization like the International Atomic Agency giving proper advice coupled with adequate safety procedures and efficient nuclear waste management techniques. The main speaker from the group was a youth from India. He was adamant about the subject and coincidentally around the time of this summit, India had just obtained Congressional Approval for a go-ahead on using nuclear to energise its power grid.

Brunei contingent to ASEAN S&T Week in the Philippines – Nur Saidah, Nurul Adilah, Hazwan and Bokhari – posing during the

Opening Ceremony in Hotel Traders Manila.

ASEAN teachers, mostly from the Philippines, listening attentively to the teacher representative from India in a science teachers’ forum

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On the topic of space technology as a means of mitigating natural disasters, the delegation that Nur Saidah joined believed more public awareness and effective information must be disseminated especially on its warning system. Asean could bridge that link through the implementation of the Asean Disaster Advisory System. Concerns on genetically modified (GM) products, either current or in the pipeline, such as for medicines and vaccines, foods and food ingredients, feeds and fibers, were highlighted in the summit. The agreed consensus was that GM organisms could become controversial as it could be detrimental to global issues such as health concerns, ecological biodiversity, gene flow and economic disruption. Nevertheless, this group with Nurul Adilah as Brunei’s representative, supported further exploration of using GM but ensured that it would not go beyond the limits of morality. The last forum topic discussed was Extreme Games. Hazwan and other members of this group discussed the importance of minimising the negative effects and impacts of computer gaming whilst supporting more design-creation and production of educational games. The group also stressed the importance of public awareness with the support of government, associations, private companies, lawmakers, schools and computer shops especially on monitoring and imposing stricter laws on advertisement, violence and piracy issue.

Meanwhile on the issue of teaching science and mathematics in Asean, the teachers highlighted several common concerns. Whatever the nature of the problem was, they recognised that all stakeholders including students, teachers, parents, community and the policy-makers must be involved in the process of educational improvement. The delegation proposed further effective teaching and learning strategies in Science and Mathematics education.

It could be through collaboration of Asean nations by means of establishing dynamic online networks by which students and teachers could collaborate, having fellowship/scholarship programmes, continuous initiation of student programmes, production of low-cost instructional materials, incorporation of community-based learning in school curriculum and adequate financial avenues obtained through relevant institutions such as Asean Foundation, each country’s respective Science and Technology Ministries, and other agencies.

Nurul Adilah giving her thoughts during her forum session on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).

ASEAN Quest Game and S&T Expo During the summit, a competition on a PC game called ASEAN Quest was also launched. Our students emerged third place winning a plaque and US$200 behind the winner Indonesia and first runner-up Thailand. The new computer game was commissioned by Asean Foundation to promote multicultural harmony amongst Asean countries through fun and appealing interactive games especially for the youths.

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All the participants also had the opportunity to visit the expo at the World Trade Centre exhibition hall where they met Brunei exhibitors in their beautifully constructed booths. The co-ordinator of the whole programme from the Ministry of Development, Ak Haji Jaafar, was also on hand to welcome them there. In fact, the Brunei students actually met and dined to-gether with the Deputy Minister of Development, Dato Paduka Haji Mat Sunny during the opening ceremony and Cultural evening as he was attending the ministerial meeting at the same time.

Thriller in Manila! During a tour of Manila, the students were brought to the Science Centre located within SM Mall of Asia, which is said to be the largest mall in Asia. There was a tour of the city’s main historic sites too. A visit to the Jose Rizal monument was a must. Jose Rizal is considered a national hero. His literature and his final days before his fateful execution by the Spanish were depicted in the tour. The group then spent some time at Intramuros, a walled-city with its history and local architecture heavily influenced by the Spanish when they ruled the island for more than 400 years. The group also toured an area known as Rajah Sulayman Theatre (the locals pronounced it as “Rahah Sulaiman”). He was indeed, our fourth Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Sulaiman. Based on our history book, that would have been during this ruler’s heydays between 1432 and 1485. His native settlement is now the site of Fort Santiago. It is located at the mouth of a major river. Being one of the oldest fortresses in the country, it was a strategic location for the Spanish, British, Japanese and American Corps’ era before being returned to the Philippines government in 1946.

An experience to remember The fun-filled tour plus the summit provided valuable lessons for the students. They learnt, shared and appreciated the whole experience suitable to the vision One Asean Community. As always, STEP Centre is proud to have provided our four students the opportunity to experience and gain valuable knowledge not just for themselves, but to be shared with their fellow friends in Brunei Darussalam especially on scientific and technological wisdom. The students learnt and studied best practices and value-added information which they would not have gained without this international forum.

The thrilled young delegation in front of the Jose Rizal monument in downtown Manila.

Excited delegation from all ASEAN countries took pictures after the Cultural Night performances.

From page 15

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The Training Program in Japan Energy Conservation for Brunei Darussalam [ECBN1]

By: Zulbahri bin Achee

The training program in Japan on “Energy Conservation for Brunei Darussalam (ECBN1)” was organised by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan and was jointly conducted by The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) and the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ). The training was conducted at the Yokohama Kenshu Center (YKC), Japan. Basically, the purpose of the training was to study the Energy conservation activities, Policy and Measures and best practices in Japan, in order to support and help Brunei Darussalam in developing efficient energy conservation policies and measures effectively. On top of these, the training also gave us new knowledge on policy or law, effective and dissemination methodologies for EE&C (Energy Efficiency and Conservation) and specific experiences including Energy Management at factories and buildings performed in Japan

The group photo with the participants, trainers and the organisers in front of Yokohama Training Centre (YKC)

The participants from Brunei Darussalam came from different backgrounds i.e. the public sectors, namely the Energy Division, Prime Minister’s Office, the Electrical Department, The Ministry of Health, The Ministry of Defence, The Ministry of Development (Public Work Department) and The Ministry of Education, which include The STEP Centre (represented by Awg Zulbahri bin Achee), Institut Teknologi Brunei, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and The Department of Curriculum Development; and from the private sectors namely The Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) and The Berakas Power Station.

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Through this training program it is hoped that the trainees will realise and create the following in Brunei Darussalam. • Establishment of policy and basic measures to promote energy efficiency and conservation including legal and

regulatory framework. • Energy Efficiency and Conservation in the operation and maintenance of electricity production. • Energy auditor educational course for higher institutions and accreditation. • Provision of basic guidelines for energy management practised by factories and buildings. • Energy labelling and building envelopes.

During lectures and visits

Contents of the course • As part of the energy conservation and energy management project that has been running in Japan, the

Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ) has developed activities for the residential and transport sectors to promote “smart life” by which the educational aspect is greatly emphasised. Through these projects we have learned a lot on how Japan is conducting “Energy Efficiency and Conservation”.

• ECCJ has also established strong networks among schools, homes and communities. One such effort was the distribution of power meters known as “E-Co Navi” free-of-charge to every school by ECCJ.

• We also learned that ECCJ provides guidelines and Standards for the Design of Buildings as well as the Standards for Energy Efficiency & Conservation Operation of Buildings.

Some of the lecturers from Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ)

From page 17

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Visits • The organiser managed to take us to some useful sites that really practice energy conservation and have

won various awards on energy related programs. • The site visits gave us a first hand overview on how the Japanese practice “Energy conservation and

efficiency” in everyday life. • Furthermore they gave us insight on how to harness solar energy efficiently, especially in conserving

energy in buildings and factories. • Some of the sites that the organiser arranged for us to visit are as follows:

− The refinery company, Thye Idemitsu Kosan Co, Ltd − Tokyo Gas Co Ltd, Sodegaura LNG Terminal − Tokyo Electric Power Company Inc (TEPCO) − Yokohama Thermal Power Station − World Trade Center − Takenaka Corporation, Tokyo Office.

Visits to the Tokyo Gas Co Ltd and Tokyo Electric Power Company Inc (TEPCO)

Group Work − The purpose of the group work was to formulate an action plan on “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Policy

and Measures in Brunei Darussalam”. − There were altogether four groups formed and each group consisted of people from different backgrounds and

different departments. − Enough time was given by the organiser to each group to formulate the action plan. − On the final day of the training, each group made their presentation. − Each group produced a well-structured action plan based on the “Energy Conservation and Efficiency” for

Brunei Darussalam.

Group work presentation and after the certificate presentation

From page 18

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The Science camp as part of the Improvement on Science achievement programme was held for 4 days from 15th June to 18th June 2008. The camp was hosted by Sekolah Menengah Masin and supported by Sekolah Menengah Awang Semaun and Sekolah Menengah Sayyidina Umar Al-Khattab. The campsite were in the Sekolah Menengah Masin compound.The camp was officially opened by the Head of Science, Technology and Environmental Partnership (STEP)Centre, Awang Haji Metali bin Hj Mirasan.

Science Camp 2008- Improvement on Science Achievement Programme By:Azahan bin Haji Abd Wahab

The objectives of the camp are: − To promote the interest of students towards science subjects − Increase awareness on the importance of science in everyday life − Establish friendship amongst the participating students

About 115 students in Secondary 2 from the three schools participated in the camp. The students did a lot of activities ranging from Astronomy, Cultural night, Powerpoint Presentation and so forth. The students were also given an opportunity to visit the Berakas Forest Reserve and Bukit Shahbandar .Here; the students were given certain tasks related to the surrounding area. Apart from doing Science-based activities the students were also taught to incorporate some physical and spiritual activities.

The closing ceremony was held on 18th June, whereby the students were asked to take down all the tents and clean up the campsite area. The guest of honour for the closing ceremony was the Director General, Ministry of Education, Dayangku Hajah Mastoli binti PSI Pg Hj Ismail. Representing on her behalf was the Acting Director of Examination, Awg Haji Muhd Masa Masdi bin Hj Muhd Sa’idun.The closing ceremony ended with prize presentation for the best male and female campers.

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UPSTAGING THE ENVIRONMENT, IN A SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE


Discussing highlights as a participant in The 4th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability (ICECESS) in Trengganu, Malaysia from 4th to 7th January 2008.

The conference “4th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sus-tainaility (ICECESS)” was officially opened on Friday morning, 4th January 2008, by Professor Dato’ Dr Sulaiman Md Yassin, the Vice Chancellor at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) who was also present at the plenary session. Paper presenters came from countries such as the U.S.A, the U.K, Malaysia, India, Denmark, Australia, South Africa and including myself representing Brunei Darussalam. The conference was a multidisciplinarian conference which encompassed issues pertaining to environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability. The forum was held in Hotel Primula Beach Resort, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. It was organised for the fourth time by the Common Ground Publishing Company, which is based in Australia. In previous years, they were held every January. It was previously held in India, Vietnam and Hawaii before being held in Malaysia which was hosted by UMT.

A group photo of all the participants in the conference

Talking Circles In that conference, through talking circle discussions, the participants came to a genuine realisation that when dealing with reforms in social, environmental and economic sustainability, core knowledge and understanding is of utmost importance. I joined the environmental sustainability talking circle which included some university professors, corporate managers and researchers. The fruitful discussions connected us into appreciating each others’ capacities, enthusiasms and similar concerns, that is, emphasising further the urgent need and action encompassing any form of sustainable development no matter how diversified the issues were.

The talking circles also highlighted the actions involved, that is, how to reach the masses and how to involve the government in implementing the so-called recommendations. One idea brought up was the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) which has been in place and made to good use in the United Kingdom. Through KTP, suggestions from the researchers were relayed to the government or practitioners to achieve the actions required for sustainability issues raised. However, a clear Terms of Reference (TOR) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) should be inked first so that the networking and collaboration will be enhanced and persevered.

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One of the participants, a lecturer from Universiti Sains Malaysia, raised the importance of education in schools as a major source for increasing awareness and promoting sustainable actions to address the concerns we raised in the conference. According to him, the students need to be better facilitated in realizing the importance of sustainability issues. For example, pollution in rivers. Teachers ought to take them to the polluted rivers and let them experience first hand the concerns that the students must be aware of in such problems. The exploratory and discovery learning would be more meaningful this way compared to lessons in classes where a teacher would simply give notes on the dangers of pollution to the environment and humans.

Highlighting environmental sustainability My paper presentation was entitled “A Preliminary Examination On Brunei Darussalam’s Attempt To Tackle Local Environmental Problems Through Schools”. The paper examined the extent to which Brunei Darussalam attempted to tackle the local environmental problems and challenges in line with the National Development strategies using the national education system as the implementing factor. My paper suggested that simply by reorienting current educational practice, environmental education became more relevant to societal transformation processes toward sustainable development. There was no need to change the existing national educational policies and objectives. In terms of imple-mentation, STEP Centre must continue to network, collaborate and partner with other government agencies in order to empower positive actions towards sustainability through sharing sessions, workshops, seminars, conference, forum and possibly training. For environmental sustainability to be studied, a country must first be equipped with complete data and relevant information, for example, pollution level in a river in question. The figures obtained need to be accurate and unbiased. To an extend, Brunei lacks such crucial information mainly due to several possible factors. It could be due to insufficient expertise or manpower, lack of technological equipment required or simply the excessive red tapes in most areas of concern. To move forward, responsible government agencies must remove the unnecessary red tapes and must carry out their responsibilities and obligations to the nations so that the trust of the people will be upheld. Having said that, there was something that needed attention when attending such a conference. One of them was the lack of numbers of participants who attended. In this conference only a handful of experts who were genuinely concerned in various sustainability issues were present. It is feared that, like any other conferences, the passion ends when the conference ended. No doubt that the researchers present would gain more knowledge but the lack of empowerment or inaction persisted because their voices were not heard. Even with a Conference Declaration endorsed, it would still not guarantee success. Based on what I observed in the past, even though bigger and major conferences declared and adopted many suggestions and directions, nothing would happen after that - mainly because they were not legally bound.

The Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Professor Dato’ Dr Sulaiman Md Yassin (brown coat) after the signing of MOU with

Common Ground Publishing Company as the conference organizer, represented by Phillip Cope, Director of Operations during the opening

session.

A parallel session in progress, entitled “Right First Time with a Green way to Sustainable Built Environments and Architecture in the ASEAN Area” as delivered by Mr. Viet Tuan Do, Atelier Ten Ltd, UK.

From page 21

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THE 1ST APEC FUTURE SCIENTIST CONFERENCE

20th August – 24th August 2008 By: Siti Nur’arifah Haji Suhaimi

The 1st APEC Future Scientist Conference was held at Kyungnam University, Gyeongnam, Korea. It was hosted by The APEC Mentoring Center for the Gifted in Science. The aim of the conference was to improve opportunities to strengthen relationship among the Gifted in Science and teachers from APEC economies. Its theme was “Friendship, Creativity and Future.”

A total of 53 students were involved, all from 13 different APEC countries. Brunei Darussalam was represented by Mohd. Khairi Ihsannudin Isnon bin Ismail and myself, both from Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan. We were accompanied by our chaperone Zulbahri bin Achee, an Education Officer from STEP Centre, Ministry of Education. During the whole convention, attendees had the opportunity to not only gain further knowledge in Science, but also to acknowledge and experience Korea’s wonderful and exquisite culture. The attendees shared their various experiences and knowledge via oral presentations, poster sessions and team project workshops.

The poster presentations focused mainly on the students’ research on Science & Technology prior to the conference. There were over 20 posters up on display on the second day of the conference. ‘Jatropha as Biodiesel’ was the title of our research and poster. Prizes were awarded to the top three groups or countries that managed to impress the judges. The first prize winner went to Mr. James D. Ginting of Indonesia who did an amazing experimental explanation on his very own fabrication of geo-polymer concrete using fly ash as a substitute for cement by using environmental-friendly technology.

For the team project, six students were randomly picked for each team and each team had to plan and devise a mechanism which suited the theme ‘Clean Energy for the Future.’ There were a total of nine groups and gold medals were awarded to the top two groups. My team basically used the combination of wave and magnetic energy to create electricity. We called it ‘Riding Waves.’ We had two days to complete our project and our hard work paid off when we managed to attain one of the top two positions.

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Alongside the poster presentations and team projects, interesting and inspirational Science talks were also given. Additionally, the students also had the chance to learn a few basic Korean traditional dances which were unique in their own and quite easy to get a grasp on. On the very last day, all the attendees had the chance to relax as it was called an excursion day. A visit to Goseong Dinosaur Museum was arranged.

Overall, I had a memorable time in Korea. Friends were made, a wide range of knowledge was gained and different skills were learnt. For that, on behalf of my colleague and I, would like to express my gratitude to the STEP Centre and the Ministry of Education for this wonderful opportunity.

From page 23

QUOTE “As far as the laws of Mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality”

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-Swiss-U.S. scientist

"Your theory is crazy, but it's not crazy enough to be true."

Niels Bohr Danish Physicist (1885—1962)

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BID TO LEARNING EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESD) CONCEPT A brief account after participation in The South-East Asia ESD Coordination and Capacity Building Workshop, Manila, the Philippines (9th – 12th September 2008)

By: Nor Erawadi Hj Ibrahim

The South-East Asia ESD Coordination and Capacity Building Workshop organised by UNESCO was given to relevant members of the government agencies focused towards ESD leadership, programme coordination and monitoring of ESD. This was also in response to the 34th UNESCO General Conference, the immediate challenges in implementing ESD at the national level, and preparation for the World Conference on ESD in March/April 2009 and beyond. Myself and an environment officer from the Department of Environment, Parks and Rec-reation, Ministry of Development, Awang Yusrein Hadi bin Abdul Ghani had the opportunity to participate in that capacity building workshop in September 2008.

The participants and facilitators took a photo during the first day of session. Seated front row included His

Excellency Minister of Education of Timor Leste (2nd from left) and Madame Secretary of Education for the

Philippines (2nd from right).

The trainee cohort was made up of officers from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor Leste. The four-day workshop was held at the Avenue Hotel and Suites in Manila from 9th to 12th September 2008. During the workshop, we learnt ESD mapping for each country, what the linkages and approaches between education and learning to sustainable development priorities should be, who should be involved, and how the implementation processes should be done. The different country delegation also worked in mixed grouping on different exercises. This helped us to learn more about similarities and differences in terms of SD in different countries and the mechanisms involved. Indeed, we also learnt a lot about each country’s challenges and sustainable issues in the process. There were a lot of similar impending concerns between the cohort as highlighted in the table below:

Brunei Indonesia Malaysia The Philippines Timor Leste

− Over consumption of fossil fuels

− Solid waste − Cross-border haze

− Energy waste, fossil fuel extensive use

− Agriculture land destruction

− Narrow chauvinism

− Deforestation

− School dropouts among boys

− Gender Equality − HIV/AIDS

− Good governance − Poverty reduction − Peace and

human security

− Human capital development

− Education and literacy

− Economic and agricultural productivity

− Good governance

Sustainable issues identified in the 5 cohort countries

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This account was not necessarily complete or accurate but merely based on inputs by the workshop participants. In the context of Brunei Darussalam, I would say that we are gearing towards mainstreaming the concept of ESD in the education sector either through formal, non-formal or informal mechanisms. The realisation and implementation of any ESD initiatives or projects would only succeed if all those involved are serious towards the specified objectives. To conclude, we were satisfied with the workshop’s essence led by the facilitators, Mr Joel Bacha and Mr Derek Elias, both officers based in UNESCO Bangkok. In this opportunity, I would like to thank our Ministry of Education especially the International Affairs Unit for entrusting me to learn more and report back on the significance of ESD.

Madame Soliven, Head of UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines gave her welcoming

speech whilst flanked by Mr Elias and Mr Bacha from UNESCO Bangkok

Getting ready on the first day of workshop Yusrein explained our group’s findings on an exercise about actors of ESD

The group was not peeking out the window but actually reading through a written exercise

From page 25

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SPE BRUNEI SECTION STUDENT PAPER CONTEST By: Sarimah Abu Bakar & Zulbahri Achee

The contest was organised by The Young Professional Chapter Brunei Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE) and in collaboration with The Science, Technology and Environment Partnership (STEP) Centre, Ministry of Education and Brunei Shell Petroleum Co. Sdn. Bhd. The competition was held in conjunction with the Energy Week 2008. The theme of the student paper contest is related to "A Career In Oil & Gas Industry" with the purpose of creating an opportunity for the young generation to be more interested in energy related issues in Brunei Darussalam.

The competition was open to all secondary schools throughout the state. It was divided into two categories namely the Lower Secondary Level and The Upper Secondary Level. The competition was held at the Chancellor’s Hall, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

Committee members group photo

First Brandon Lee Tze Loong

Chung Ching Middle School, Seria.

Second Nikhil Kingsly St. George’s School,

Bandar Seri Begawan.

Third Lai Wen Qiang Chung Ching Middle School, Seria.

Consolation

Ainan Husnaa Binti Muhammad Saifullah

Sekolah Ugama Arab Menengah Perempuan Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit, BSB

Awang Basil Ali Witsqa bin Awang Mohammad

Chung Hua Middle School, Kuala Belait

Loh Wei Ho Chung Hwa Middle School, Bandar Seri Begawan

Ephraim Reyes Leong Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan, BSB

Soh Sing Sing Chung Hwa Middle School, Bandar Seri Begawan

Muhammad Hidayat bin Haji Ahmad

PGGMB Secondary School, BSB

Maria Chong Shin Yi St. Andrew's School, Bandar Seri Begawan

First Harris bin Karim St. Andrew's School, Bandar Seri Begawan

Second

Radin Abdullah bin Radin Mas Basiuni

Saints James's School, Kuala Belait.

Third Jarrod Sim Cheng Jie

St. Andrew's School, Bandar Seri Begawan

Consolation

Amanda Ngo Hui San

St. John's School, Kuala Belait

Annabelle Leong Tze Ling

Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan, BSB

Koo Pin Ying Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan, BSB

Nuraini binti Abdul Zabar

Chung Hua Middle School, Kuala Belait

Lei Ting Wen Chung Ching Middle School, Seria

Haji Abdul Azeez bin Dato Paduka Hj

Abdul Salam

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, BSB

Muhammad Amirul Syafiq bin Noorazmi

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, BSB

Category A (Secondary 1 to Secondary 3) Category B (Secondary 4 to Secondary 5)

List of winners for the SPE Paper Contest Competition 2008

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Some of the pictures during the official launcing of SPE Paper Contest held at Chancellor’s Hall, Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Appreciation & Prize Giving Ceremony Guest of Honour

Dayang Hajah Norjum binti Hj Yusop Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education

15th August 2008 Empire Hotel & Country Club

From page 27

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UPDATE ON PAPER RECYCLING IN STEP By: Nor Erawadi Hj Ibrahim

As reported in the previous STEP Forward Newsletter, STEP Centre has implemented a used paper recycling project which began on 1st February 2008. This initiative is our way of exercising environmental awareness for the whole staff and users of the Centre. To show our concern for the environment, we try to reduce wastage in any forms especially on exhaustive or recurrent resources, like paper, water and electricity usage in line with the current global environmental issues. As mentioned in the previous Newsletter, STEP Centre aims to strive towards being sustainable and having recognition status as a “green and energy-efficient building” or achieving “zero carbon emission” centre. With regard to paper recycling, the first collection by the recycling company was done on 12th November 2008. The papers were collected for a duration of 10 months (February to November 2008). By weight, STEP “produced” about 128 kg amount of recycled paper within that period. We will monitor the amount collected over time. It is important that an evaluation or monitoring or auditing be done to ensure that no excessive wastage occurs in the centre.

Together we can succeed!

The huge green bin for recycling wel-coming visitors to STEP Centre to be

more environmentally-friendly.

A STEP officer (Syed Rozman) is doing his part on the recycling programme.

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It is obviously difficult to sustain pupils’ interest to study in a normal classroom condition after the end of year school examination. Despite the difficulty, schools in Brunei Darussalam have initiated school-based activities such as sport tournaments; board games competitions and basic skills activities such as cooking. The designed activities were normally unrelated to the subjects’ curriculum. One curriculum related activity that could be initiated by schools is to organise visits such as to the Brunei Museum or the Brunei Mc Farm. Unfortunately, there are several constraints in organizing visits. For example, transportation provided by the relevant authorities may be limited as many other schools are also requesting for transportation. Additionally, the number of pupils involved is normally restricted either because of the limited number of bus seats; or the hosting par-ties can only accept a limited number of pupils.

In May, 2008, STEP Centre successfully organised an off-site Science Trail Activity in collaboration with Sekolah Rendah Pengi ran Anak Puter i Besar . Nevertheless, the Science Trail idea is not confined to out of school activities only. There are variety of ideas that the school area might offer for the trail activities.

In November last year, another potential Science curriculum related activity namely ‘Science Educational Games’ (SEG) was successfully organised by the STEP Centre with the collaboration of Sekolah Rendah Junjongan. All Primary 4 pupils from Sekolah Rendah Pehin Dato Jamil, Sekolah Rendah Pengiran Anak Puteri Besar and Sekolah Rendah Junjongan and 37 teachers from the three schools were involved.

By Satinah binti Haji Abang & Rosita binti Haji Bangkol

Through the SEG activities, pupils were able to learn in a less formal and unthreatening condition; learn several science concepts; test their creativities and logical thinking; socialise and work cooperatively with peers from different schools.

RELATED SCIENCE TOPIC:

ACTIVITIES SCIENCE TOPICS

What is wrong? (Jigsaw Puzzle)

Properties of Materials – choice of material

Relay living things

Instant Make Over Healthy Habits

Float your boat Properties of materials – Float or sink

Hovercraft Launching Air pressure

Hop into the Hoops Water

Human tree Parts of a plant

Strongest Shape Properties of materials

Sinking and Floating Soda Cans

Properties of materials

Jet Propulsion Air

Keep Brunei Clean Health and Environment – Recycling (General Knowledge)

Group photo: Guest of Honour, Awang Aidin bin Haji Abu Bakar (Acting Assistant Director, Department of Schools, (Primary Section), the Head of STEP Centre, the Head-mistress of SR Junjongan and the overall winning team

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From page 30

COMMENTS FROM SR JUNJONGAN “After completing the pupils’ final year examination reports, the headmistress and the teachers of SR Junjongan worked cooperatively to prepare the materials for the games. Although we only had a few weeks, with the cooperation from our teachers, some colourful and attractive materials were produced and mostly from used materials. We are very lucky to have teachers who are artistic and very creative. Pupils and teachers enjoyed and learnt some relevant Science concepts from the SEG games. We were also able to interact and strengthen the bond between the three schools. We seldom have the opportunity to do such an activity. Thanks for the continuing effort and support from STEP Centre, and also to all teachers from the three PPPS schools who contributed to the success of the SEG”.

Let’s label him…I mean the parts of a Human Tree!

These boys need instant make over! Don’t you think so?

Working cooperatively to make the best boat that can float while carrying the given loads

Guests and the primary 4 pupils teamed up to compete in a game called: KEEP BRUNEI CLEAN

With a good strategy, the GOH’s team won the KEEP BRUNEI CLEAN competition. Congratulations!

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STEP Holds Khatam Al-Quran The khatam Al-Quran was held on 24th Ramadhan 1429 / 25th September 2008. All the STEP Centre’s officers and staff took part in the ceremony as they completed the 30 verses from the Al-Quran as a pre-requisite for the Khatam Al-Quran ceremony.

Hari Raya Aidil Fitri @ STEP Centre Hari Raya Aidil Fitri for the year 1429 Hijrah was held on 13th October 2008 at STEP Centre. The function began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, followed by the reading of Doa Selamat and the speech by the Head of STEP Centre, Awang Haji Metali bin Haji Mirasan.

Hari Raya Korban @ STEP Centre Officers and staff of STEP Centre hold a Koran ceremony on 9th December 2008. One buffalo was slaughtered and the beef was distributed among the staff and the family members of STEP Centre. [left]

STEP’s Centre Annual Dinner @ KTM Restaurant Jerudong on 5th December 2008

STEP FORWARD - 5th Issue

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Transcript of STEP FORWARD - 5th Issue