New Southbound Policy Portal

Representative Andrew Lee hands over books, audiobooks, board games and lanterns to St. Andrew’s School
 

On behalf of the cabinet-level Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) and the local government of Kinmen County of Taiwan, Representative Andrew Lee of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Brunei Darussalam visits St. Andrew’s School to hand over books, audiobooks, board games and Lunar New Year lanterns on February 17, 2021. Honorary Chairman Stephen Ong, Deputy Principal Dr. Chong Ah Fok from the school accept the items and extended warmest welcome and gratitude to Representative Lee for the kindness and generosity in providing teaching materials, witnessed by a number of teachers and administrative staff.

During a reception hosted by Honorary Chairman Ong, Representative Lee expresses his warmest Lunar New Year greeting and gratitude to the school for the warm reception and hospitality extended to himself and his colleagues. He states that the visit is a wonderful starting point for encouraging and fostering a positive and long lasting working relationships between St. Andrew’s and his office based on mutual understanding and admiration. Mr. Lee also praises that a large number of graduates from St. Andrew’s School become the backbone of the society and the pillars of economic development of Brunei benefitted from the fundamental education they had received during school time. He indicates the main theme of this visit and elaborates how he feel about St. Andrew’s and the admiration and respect he has for the vision the school has upheld, as well as the accomplishments have been achieved since the establishment of the school in 1957.

Despite being far apart from each other, Representative Lee points out that the government and civil society of Taiwan has long been pivotal and heavily involved in Brunei’s Chung Hwa schools operations in the areas of Mandarin Chinese learning, inheritance of Chinese tradition, and higher education since 1960s, and looks forward to an inspiring and fruitful cooperation between Taiwan and St. Andrew’s in the field of Mandarin Chinese learning and Taiwanese and Chinese cultures promotions in the near future. The handover of these teaching materials not only represents the love and care of the government and people of Taiwan, but also aims to create incentive and an environment for students to explore themselves in a friendly manner.

Immediately after the ceremony, accompanied and guided by Honorary Chairman Ong and Deputy Principal Chong, Mr. Lee tours the Library, Computer Room, Chemistry Laboratory, Mandarin Chinese class in the campus and exchanges views on issues related to Brunei’s education system, Mandarin Chinese teaching, recruitment of Chinese teachers ... and so on. Mr. Lee also briefly introduces international schools system and landscape in Taiwan.