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By Marlynda Meraw & Shikin Louis KUCHING, Nov 10: The Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) has urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) to prioritise filling teacher vacancies and upgrading school facilities before introducing the co-teaching model in 2027. STU president Kullin Djayang said that if these issues are not addressed, the proposal could ultimately burden teachers and become a futile effort. He said that the co-teaching concept is nothing new, but its implementation has long been hindered by factors such as subject suitability and teacher shortages; the main challenges in carrying out such teaching techniques effectively. “Therefore, we always urge the MOE to fill teacher vacancies first before implementation (of co-teaching) in 2027, especially in Sarawak. “In addition, the filling of the teachers’ vacancies must follow the right options to ensure effective teaching,” said Kullin. While acknowledging that the proposal offers promising learning benefits, Kullin said several critical aspects must first be studied, including school facilities such as gadgets, internet connectivity, and LCD projectors, which are essential for effective co-teaching delivery. He also emphasised the importance of classroom conditions, including ventilation, layout, and class size, to ensure a conducive teaching and learning environment for both students and teachers. “In addition, this type of pedagogy should also be applied to prospective teachers who are in IPT (institutes of higher learning) and IPG (Teacher Education Institutes),” he said, adding that basic teacher knowledge is crucial to make the teaching technique effective ahead of its 2027 implementation. — DayakDaily
