SIBU: Education reforms should never be rushed, as the future of countless students is at stake, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong Branch Chairman, Wong Ching Yong.
He had expressed concern over the Education Ministry’s plan to implement the nationwide “co-teaching” or dual-teacher classroom system by 2027.
Wong, who is also SUPP’s assistant publicity and information secretary, said education transformation must be approached with “utmost caution” as the cost of failure would be immense.
“Reform cannot be based on sudden inspiration or borrowed examples from other countries. This is not like trying out a recipe online; a poorly thought-out education reform risks affecting an entire generation,” he said in a statement today.
He also noted the concerns raised by various education stakeholders.
“The West Malaysia Malay Teachers Union (KGMMB) President, Sobri Yusuf, urged the ministry to first conduct a comprehensive audit of current teacher numbers to avoid worsening shortages, particularly in rural and high-density schools.
“Malaysian School Principals Council President, Nurul Amali Mohd Shamsudin, welcomed co-teaching but called for clear short- and long-term manpower plans.
“Meanwhile, the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) Secretary-General, Fouzi Singon, noted that while teachers were informed of the plan, many remain uncertain about how to conduct the lessons,” he said.
Wong stressed that he supports reform in principle but believes the ministry’s apparent haste has naturally sparked public concern.
He therefore called on Education Minister, Fadhlina Sidek, and Deputy Education Minister, Wong Kah Woh, to first provide clear answers to five key questions.
“Are manpower and teaching resources sufficient? Can teacher training and assessment be adequately prepared given that most teachers are trained in single subjects? Have pilot projects been implemented and evaluated independently?
“Has the ministry prioritised resource and teacher shortages before introducing new systems? And will parents be informed in advance of implementation details and expected outcomes?” he asked.
Wong further said that reform should begin by identifying objectives and challenges, followed by a clear plan for resources, costs, and manpower, stakeholder consultation, transparent pilot studies and thorough teacher training.
“Even after this, new systems should be implemented in phases with early evaluations to allow improvements,” he said.
He added a more meaningful contribution would be fulfilling Pakatan Harapan’s pledge to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), which would leave a lasting positive impact.
“While the ministry shows urgency with co-teaching, the Chinese community hopes Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh will show the same urgency in pursuing the long-promised recognition of the UEC,” he said.
Wong also questioned the ministry’s plan to merge Year One subjects – Science, Health Education, Art, Music, and Digital Literacy – into a single subject by 2027.
He noted that teachers are qualified by subject, meaning entirely new training programmes would be required nationwide.
“Teacher training cannot begin without a completed syllabus and course structure. Has the ministry started drafting the new curriculum?
“If it intends to finalise course details within the next two months to begin training in 2026, wouldn’t that be far too rushed?” Wong, who is also a chartered accountant by profession, asked.
