In Brunei Darussalam, basic education spans primary and secondary schooling, starting at age 5 with Year 0 (preschool) and continuing to Year 11 in government institutions. Following the 2023 update to the Compulsory Education Act, the starting age for formal education was lowered from six to five, effective 1st January 2024. All students follow a standardised curriculum, culminating in the Primary School Assessment (PSR) at the end of Year 6 before advancing to secondary level. The current framework, the National Education System for the 21st Century (Sistem Pendidikan Negara Abad ke-21, SPN21), implemented in 2008, replaced the Bilingual Education System (Sistem Pendidikan Dwibahasa) but retains a bilingual approach, with instruction in Standard Malay and English, alongside English as a subject (ESBE). English has become part of Brunei's metanarrative for preparing globally competitive citizens, reflected in the allocation of five hours per week for ESBE in primary education and four in secondary. In November 2023, primary school hours were extended from 7.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. to 7.30 a.m.-3.00 p.m., and 2024 was the first full academic year under the new schedule. This study examines how this reform has affected ESBE and teaching hours, who has been most affected, and what other significant changes have resulted.