Brunei’s Ministry of Education launched the GenAI Guidance for Education handbook in September 2025, covering digital safety, academic integrity, and responsible AI use for schools. The handbook provides guidance for students, teachers, and institutions on appropriate use of generative AI tools in educational settings. In parallel, the AI Ready ASEAN Programme launched in June 2025 targets 20,000 Brunei citizens with essential AI skills through a partnership between the ASEAN Foundation and Google.org. The Ministry of Education Digital Transformation Plan 2023-2027 incorporates Digital Literacy Standards across the primary and secondary curriculum. Universiti Brunei Darussalam graduated its first cohort of students in the Bachelor of Digital Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence in August 2025.
Who it affects: Students and teachers across Brunei’s school system are the intended audience of the GenAI handbook. The AI Ready ASEAN Programme targets the broader working-age population. University graduates in the new Applied AI degree will enter the workforce with formal AI credentials.
What is notably missing: The GenAI handbook provides guidance rather than a binding curriculum mandate. The Ministry’s Digital Literacy Standards are embedded in a broader transformation plan rather than enacted as a standalone AI literacy law. Internal data shows only 37.8% of trainers have received basic AI training and 40% of adult educators report never having received AI tool training, indicating significant implementation gaps relative to stated policy. There is no teacher training prerequisite mandate, no funded training programme for all educators, and no enforcement mechanism for non-compliance.