Lest We Forget

DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH BORNEO BULLETIN ARCHIVES

Tuition scams irk parents

February 3/4, 1996 – Many primary school children are being targeted by errant teachers running tuition scams in the comfort of their homes, it was revealed yesterday.

According to several concerned parents, many of these students do not need these additional classes.

Yet they are being forced into it by their class teachers.

Several parents spoke to the Weekend Bulletin following recent reports in the Borneo Bulletin about a new ruling imposed on tutors by the Department of Schools in the capital.

Under the new ruling, teachers are no longer allowed to conduct tuition classes to more than nine students.

They are also not allowed to tutor their own class students other than those who are in the examination classes.

“Some greedy teachers have made tuition as a lucrative sideline.

“They have lost sight of their noble intentions and are instead, amassing financial benefits from their students,” one parent said.

Some even penalised their students by refusing to check their class works and showering favours on those who participated in the teachers’ tuition classes, claimed another parents who identified himself as Awang Rauf.

Meanwhile, informed sources told the Weekend Bulletin that most of these scams were concentrated in some private schools in the country, especially in the Brunei-Muara District.

Many teachers in these private schools are reportedly not earning adequate salaries. – Malai Hassan Othman

Unmasking silen killers in Brunei

FEBRUARY 3, 2006 – Deaths caused by heart diseases, cancer and diabetes have increased alarmingly in Brunei and such epidemics strike Bruneians as early as in their 20s and 30s, revealed Minister of Health, Pehin Dato Paduka Haji Suyoi.

The minister yesterday made the revelation at the International Convention Centre during the launching of a book, food safety and health food courses for managers and food handlers.

For the past 10 years, statistics have shown that non-infectious diseases such as coronary heart disease, cancer and diabetes have become the top five causes of death in the Sultanate.

This is caused by the habit of outside dining brought about by the mushrooming restaurants and food stalls offering affordable meals. This directly outlines serious thoughts that need to be given on food safety and healthy food aspects.

He also touched on the increase in the number of food poisoning cases last year, up from 69 cases in 2004 to 191 cases in 2005.

Pehin Dato Paduka Haji Suyoi hands out a guidebook on healthy food and food safety

What is more alarming, however, is that the percentage of deaths caused by heart diseases increased from 12.8 per cent to 18.3 per cent, cancer shot up from 12.8 per cent to 21.5 per cent, while diabetes cases saw an upsurge from 4.7 per cent to 7.7 per cent.

Initially, such health issues would generally affect individuals in their 60s and 70s, however, it is a different story today.

Heart diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure are among the main causes of hospital admission.

These three health issues are related to the daily way of life where one lacks physical activities, consumes imbalance food intake and indulgers in the smoking habit.

Pehin Dato Paduka Haji Suyoi added that based on global health indicators, the status of health in Brunei has shown a noticeable upsurge since 20 years ago. Many health indicators have achieved the World Health Organization target.

The leading causes of deaths in Brunei are no longer caused by infectious diseases as experienced by developing countries.

Touching on the cleanliness at restaurants, the minister added that out of 2,015 food outlets inspected last year, 25 per cent of that number were found to be unsatisfactory, while one per cent were ordered to be closed.

Pehin Dato Haji Suyoi also said the launching of the courses is timely and in line with efforts to enhance awareness on the roles and responsibilities of managers and food handlers in upgrading the health standards of citizens and residents in this country.

The day saw some 60 managers and food handlers attending talks delivered by experts from the Health Services Department. – Azlan Othman