Schools and principals will decide how co-teaching is implemented, ensuring flexibility without burdening teachers under new ministry guidelines.
KUALA LUMPUR: Principals and schools have been granted autonomy to decide how co-teaching is implemented in their respective institutions.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the concept will be rolled out in stages to ensure it does not burden teachers while considering school readiness and existing staff capabilities.
“Subject panels and principals have autonomy in determining the co-teaching approach in schools,” he stated during his winding-up speech for the Supply Bill 2026 in Parliament.
This includes deciding whether to maintain two teachers per class or proceed with one teacher when facing staff shortages.
Wong explained that schools generally have sufficient teachers for integrated subjects under the co-teaching system.
However, he acknowledged situations where teachers might be on medical or maternity leave.
“In that situation, principals have the autonomy to decide to replace the absent teacher with another or to go ahead with one teacher for the integrated subject,” he added.
The deputy minister defined co-teaching as a pedagogical method involving two equal teachers working collaboratively in a classroom.
These teachers work together to plan, implement, and evaluate the teaching and learning process.
Before full implementation, the ministry conducted a pilot project involving 130 teachers across 65 primary schools of various categories.
This initiative aimed to assess the method’s effectiveness in different educational settings.
The ministry has committed to ensuring adequate teaching staff for successful implementation without adding burdens to existing teachers.
Following the debate, the Dewan Rakyat approved the management and development expenditure totalling RM66,198,630,600 allocated to the Education Ministry under Budget 2026.
The allocation was passed by majority voice after being debated by 30 members of parliament. – Bernama
