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KUALA LUMPUR: The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) has urged that the co-teaching method be given an opportunity to be tested before any conclusions are drawn about its effectiveness or suitability in schools.
NUTP president Aminuddin Awang (pic) said the approach, involving two teachers jointly conducting lessons in one classroom, is an educational innovation that should not be seen as an added burden, but rather understood in its intended context.
“There’s a misconception that every class in every school will have two teachers. In fact, co-teaching will only be introduced for Year One pupils and only for the subject Alam dan Manusia (Nature and Humanity),” he said on Bernama TV’s Apa Khabar Malaysia programme yesterday.
Aminuddin added that concerns over teacher shortages are misplaced, as the introduction of Alam dan Manusia will replace several subjects such as Visual Arts Education, Music and Health Education.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek had earlier announced that the co-teaching method would be implemented under the 2027 school curriculum.
The Education Ministry said the initiative aims to balance academic achievement with character development, nurturing students who are knowledgeable, disciplined, respectful and morally upright.
Aminuddin also welcomed the government’s initiative to deploy teaching assistants in selected schools and called for the programme to be expanded nationwide, citing its success in easing teachers’ workloads.
Under the Malaysia Short-Term Employment Programme (MySTEP), 548 contract teaching assistants have been placed in over 200 schools with student populations exceeding 1,500.
The initiative, introduced for the first time, is part of the Education Ministry’s efforts to reduce teachers’ administrative duties and enable them to focus on classroom teaching and learning.
