KUCHING: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth Central vice-chairman, Kelvin Hii, has criticised the Education Ministry’s new two-teachers-per-class policy, warning that students should not be treated as “guinea pigs”.
Hii expressed bewilderment over the announcement, questioning whether the ministry had evaluated the practicality or explored better alternatives before deciding to implement the policy beginning in 2027.
He said while the initiative’s intention may be good, ensuring that every student receives adequate attention, the idea of placing two teachers in one classroom appears unrealistic and potentially confusing.
“The approach of having two teachers in one classroom seems somewhat absurd. Which teacher should students listen to? Would a grace period be needed for adjustment?” he said in a press release on Thursday.
“Fundamentally, this approach appears impractical. Therefore, it can be concluded that this policy may simply be using students as ‘guinea pigs’ for experimentation.”
He questioned whether such a system had been implemented successfully in other countries or whether Malaysia was about to embark on an unnecessary experiment without precedent.
He added that there are many other effective ways to make classrooms more engaging and learning more meaningful.
He suggested that the ministry should focus on incorporating interactive activities, hands-on learning, and the integration of artificial intelligence and digital technology into teaching.
Such methods, he said, have already shown success in other countries.
He stressed that improving the quality of teachers through professional development and training should be the Ministry’s top priority.
“Malaysian teachers should be able to reference teaching methods from other countries and specialise in their areas of expertise,” he added.
“Unfortunately, teachers in Malaysia often become mere puppets of the Education Ministry, constantly experimenting with new policies, bearing additional burdens, completing paperwork, and engaging in extracurricular activities outside of classroom teaching rather than truly focusing on education.”
He urged the ministry to strengthen both the quality and quantity of teachers by reducing class sizes and creating more classrooms, ensuring that one teacher does not have to handle too many students at once.
He further proposed that the ministry increase the number of support staff such as office administrators, disciplinary officers, and security personnel to handle specific tasks allowing teachers to focus solely on teaching and nurturing students’ growth.
