Whanganui Girls College assistant principal Prabh Mokha heads to Brunei

Whanganui Girls College assistant principal Prabh Mokha will head to Brunei in December. Photo / Stuart Munro

Whanganui Girls College's assistant principal will soon swap Whanganui's river views for the jungles and beaches of Brunei.

Prabh Mokha, his wife Emma and their three children will leave for Brunei just after Christmas. Mr Mokha has been given leave from his job for one year - with the possibility of extending it for a further year - to work with mathematics teachers in the tiny Southeast Asian country.

"Brunei's Ministry of Education is taking part in PISA [Programme for International Student Assessment], something they've never done before. These are international standards in English, maths and science, and I will be helping with the maths side of things," Mr Mokha said.

But what's really drawing him to Brunei is a desire for adventure.

"I've never been to Brunei and I don't know much about it. I have heard that it is all jungles and beaches - and the kids are looking forward to seeing the monkeys.

"I will miss my job, though. I do really like working at Whanganui Girls College."

Brunei, which has 400,000 inhabitants, is an independent nation in the northwest of the island of Sarawak, the rest of which is divided between Malaysia and Indonesia.

"I'm excited but I also don't want to think about it yet, because I have so much to do before I leave," Mr Mokha said.

College principal Tania King said the position of a fixed-term assistant principal for the school had already been advertised.

"We're very reluctant to let him go," she said.