KUALA LUMPUR — The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) has cautioned that the Education Ministry’s planned “co-teaching” model could place additional strain on teachers unless clear guidelines, proper training, and timetable adjustments are introduced ahead of its implementation.
The co-teaching approach, which places two teachers in the same classroom, forms part of a broader curriculum reform set for 2027. The reform also includes a weekly Character Building Programme and more integrated learning across subjects.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the revised curriculum aims to balance academic performance with stronger moral values and discipline.
She said co-teaching is meant to create more interactive lessons and offer students greater individual support, while helping schools manage overcrowded classrooms until long-term infrastructure improvements are in place. Preparatory teacher training, she added, is already underway.
Speaking to Scoop, PAGE chairperson Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the ministry must ensure the policy is practical and sustainable at the school level.
She said co-teaching would only be effective if both teachers are trained to work as equal partners in lesson delivery.
“This initiative is not about simply adding another adult into the classroom. It’s meant to strengthen teaching quality and support students with different learning needs.
“But it requires teachers who can collaborate and plan together — not two instructors working in parallel,” she said.
Noor Azimah said the model could improve classroom management and help lower-attaining students, but warned that it would also increase lesson preparation time.
“Co-teaching often requires more planning because teachers must coordinate instruction and assessments. If timetables aren’t adjusted to allow shared planning during school hours, this workload will spill into after-school time — and that’s not sustainable,” she said.
She also called for clear role definitions to avoid confusion during lessons.
“Responsibilities should be set out in writing so both teachers understand who leads and who supports. They must be instructional equals, not ‘main’ and ‘assistant’,” she said.
Noor Azimah further noted that resource disparities between schools could affect the model’s success.
“Well-resourced schools will adapt more smoothly, but rural or underfunded schools will need extra support, staffing, and professional development,” she said.
PAGE urged the ministry to conduct phased pilot projects and closely monitor their outcomes before expanding the model nationwide.
“The direction is positive, but implementation must be gradual, well-supported, and realistic,” Noor Azimah said. — November 7, 2025
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