Fill vacancies, upgrade facilities before co-teaching rollout, says union

The education ministry said it will introduce a co-teaching policy, with two teachers in a class, in the 2027 school curriculum.

PETALING JAYA: The Sarawak Teachers’ Union has urged the education ministry to prioritise filling teacher vacancies and upgrading school facilities before rolling out its proposed co-teaching model slated for 2027.

STU president Kullin Djayang said while co-teaching is not new, its implementation has long been hindered by factors such as subject suitability and teacher shortages, which have stalled carrying out such teaching techniques effectively.

“We urge the education ministry to fill teacher vacancies first before implementing co-teaching in 2027, especially in Sarawak,” he said in a statement.

Kullin said while the proposal offers promising benefits, several critical aspects, including school facilities such as internet connectivity and LCD projectors, must be considered to ensure effective co-teaching delivery.

He emphasised the importance of proper ventilation and class sizes as factors which would provide a more conductive teaching and learning environment for both teachers and students.

“This method of teaching should also be applied to prospective teachers who are in higher education institutions and teacher training institutes,” he said.

The education ministry recently said it would introduce a co-teaching approach in the 2027 school curriculum, which will see two teachers conducting lessons together in one classroom.

Education minister Fadhlina Sidek said this would make teaching and learning sessions more engaging and effective, thus ensuring that every student receives adequate attention.

Last week, the West Malaysia Malay Teachers Union urged the ministry to conduct a comprehensive audit of the number of educators before implementing the co-teaching method.

Its president, Sobri Yusuf, said this would ensure that the policy does not negatively affect schools already facing a shortage of teachers.