Seeking clarity on co-teaching model

 

LETTERS 

Star Online Friday, 07 Nov 2025

THE Education Minister’s plan to introduce a “co-teaching” model in the 2027 school curriculum, where two teachers will conduct lessons together in one classroom, has sparked debate over its practicality and long-term feasibility.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek recently said the initiative aims to make teaching and learning more engaging and effective, ensuring every student receives adequate attention. Although the concept appears promising, its implementation presents several financial, operational, and staffing challenges that warrant clarification from the Education Ministry (MOE).

> Budget and staffing: A key concern is whether the MOE has the budgetary capacity to hire the additional teachers required for the co-teaching system, which effectively doubles the number of classroom educators.

It is unclear how the MOE intends to absorb the additional costs within its existing allocations without diverting funds from other critical areas such as school infrastructure, digital education, or student welfare programmes.

> Teacher availability and retention: In August 2025, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh revealed in the Dewan Rakyat that 19,179 primary and secondary school teachers opted for early retirement, with 67.44% citing a loss of interest in teaching. This highlights a worrying decline in teacher retention.

With many educators leaving the profession, the MOE faces the challenge of maintaining adequate staffing levels while introducing a system that requires two teachers per classroom. The MOE must clarify its strategies for recruiting, training, and retaining qualified educators, particularly amid rising workloads and declining morale.

> Deployment and rural challenges: There are also questions about how co-teaching will be implemented in rural and remote schools already facing teacher shortages and logistical barriers. Vernacular schools, in particular have perennially struggled with teacher shortage woes.

The MOE must explain how it plans to ensure fair deployment of teaching staff across urban and rural settings, and how co-teaching can function effectively in underenrolled, overcrowded, or dilapidated schools with limited facilities.

> Infrastructure and logistics: Infrastructure readiness poses another challenge. It remains uncertain whether the MOE has assessed if schools have sufficient staffrooms, as well as parking and teaching spaces to accommodate additional teachers.

Without proper logistical planning or infrastructure upgrades, schools could face overcrowding and resource strain, potentially undermining the objectives of the co-teaching model.

> Workload, role clarity, and supervision: The new model also raises questions about workload management. Teachers may need to double their preparation efforts when coordinating lessons, while school principals and supervisors could face heavier monitoring duties with two educators per class.

Clear guidelines are needed to define roles, prevent overlap, and ensure effective collaboration between co-teachers.

> Promotion and career progression: Another concern is how co-teaching will affect career advancement. With more teachers in the same teaching environment, competition for senior supervisory and principal roles may intensify.

The MOE should outline how it will assess promotions fairly and provide equal opportunities for professional growth.

> Pilot testing and evaluation: Finally, it remains unclear whether the MOE plans to conduct pilot programmes before nationwide implementation in 2027. Transparent evaluation metrics, such as student outcomes, teacher feedback, and classroom engagement will be vital in determining the success of this approach.

While the co-teaching initiative offers potential benefits for interactive learning, its success will depend on careful planning, sufficient funding, and strong teacher support. Stakeholders and educators are seeking clarity on how the ministry will implement this ambitious reform sustainably and effectively across all schools.

DATUK DR MAH HANG SOON

MCA deputy president

MCA Education Consultative Committee chairman