THE PUSH TOWARDS AN EDUCATED NATION 1984 ONWARDS

4.3 THE PUSH TOWARDS AN EDUCATED NATION 1984 ONWARDS

Brunei since the independence in 1984 and its economic improvement, self-governance has focused its national development plan in education as one of its strategies. Parents are more concern with their children’s education; one of the ways to improve their living conditions was to attain qualifications agricultural work was no longer a popular choice amongst the Bruneians and this can be said for the Belait ethnic as well. The Parents of the Belait natives sent their children to schools and Malay boarding schools which are located near towns far from Mukim Labi and Kuala Balai, some school children had to walk kilometres to just to get to school. In event accompanied by the resettlement scheme that was still ongoing meant parents had to find jobs that were closer to their children, this is the case with a respondent of mine who worked as a primary school teacher, she moved from her village in Kuala Balai to

Seria town because her children were enrolled in one of the schools and taught at the same school as well.

The same cannot be said for some of my respondents when asked about their experiences, one respondent told me how when his children went to school in the town it they are likely to find jobs in the same town and continue to live there until they get their own house.

“After their children went to school take for example us, they went to school in belait, then they ask for work and when they get it they do not want to return back to Kuala Balai or Mukim Labi, rarely see them even once a month. At the end they get married and build a house there, hence no longer reside in kuala

balai. The reason being is the need to find a better living area and environment.”

The above text shows us how children are more likely to move out as they are getting more educated, with education they do not see any future to stay in their villages as agricultural work is no longer sustainable and the reason why they went to school was to acquire a better living standard.

“contoh anak ku saja cucu 19 urang smua dibandar saja. Urang belait abis, cematu lah kuala balai. Anaknya smeua sekulah, ada yang keraja bapa mamanya ikut lah

abis lah. Kurang tia”

“For example my children with my 19 grandchildren all live in bandar only. Belaits are gone, the same goes to Kuala Balai. All of their children go to schools,

some work and their parents follow them, then it becomes less. ”

“kalau anaknya sudah sekolahdi bandar sampai dapat kerja , tinggal lah drg di bandar…Bapa mamanya ikut jua… yalah tu. anaknya dri kuala balai kan, sekolah di belait, tinggal hostel kan. Sudah lama- lama drg ani turun jua ke mari.”

“If the children were to go to schools in the towns until they get a job, they will stay in the towns…the parent would follow them…that is why, the children is from kuala balai, goes to school in Belait, lives at the dorm. ”

Education was made free for all citizens of Brunei Darussalam from the primary level all the way to the tertiary level; by 1985 the first University was opened and was located in the Tungku area. From the above data, are examples from my respondents who had children moving out from their villages and continue to live in the same area as they get jobs and some start a family of their own.

I have presented a macro sociological perspective as an extrinsic contributing factor to the out migration of the Belait ethnic in the past. I have touched on the factors of hardships, development and towards a better education, in the following chapter I will provide rich narratives from my field work which focuses on the emic or personal perspective of the Belait ethnic. The transition from macro to micro will show the importance of Mukim Labi and Kuala Balai to the natives and how they give meaning to specific practices given their current situation.