Wajir county has partnered with Umma University in Kajiado to tackle the teacher shortage by admitting willing and qualified teacher trainees during school holidays.
They will study both primary and secondary school training as a first step during breaks. The university will also admit other students who can eventually take up teacher training.
The Teachers Service Commission withdrew more than 2,900 non-local teachers from the Northeast who said they were afraid of terrorist attacks on non-Muslims by al Shabaab terrorists. the move leaves a gaping shortage.
Umma University is the first Islamic institution of higher education in Kenya, offering Certificate, Diploma and Degree programmes.
In the meantime, Wajir and other counties are calling on all qualified county staff, former teachers and others to help offer teaching services.
The partnership was among several resolutions agreed on Thursday during a meeting between Governor Mohamed Abdi and the university Vice-Chancellor Dr Idle Farah and registrar of academic affairs Dr Hussein Osman.
The time has come for all of us to critically think about, stop the rhetoric and act fast. We need workable solutions both short and long term. We must secure the future of our young ones.
The university management also agreed to partner with the county through special admission in their blended programme of Islamic and secular studies. The university also will help pay tuition fees, drawing on its extended donor networks.
Speaking in his office when he hosted the team, Abdi directed his technical team already working on the teacher shortage to link up with the university to come up with a roadmap to filling the shortage.
He thanked the VC and team for their commitment to the partnership that is part of the pragmatic approaches we are taking to solve the teachers' crisis."
He added, The time has come for all of us to critically think about this matter, stop the rhetoric and act fast. We need to come up with workable solutions both short and long term. We must secure the future of our young ones,” he said.
Abdi said the crisis was very real, saying more than 80 primary schools have been left with virtually no teacher and about 15 secondary schools are almost closing.
Last week Abdi met education stakeholders in Wajir and said his administration will do everything possible to ensure that within the next five years schools have adequate teachers both at primary and secondary levels.
Dr Farah said that partnership will to go a long way in solving the teaching crisis in the region.
“I commend Wajir for taking this correct step of partnering with us. I assure you we will walk this journey together and ensure we secure the future of our children," he said.
He urged Form 4 leavers with the necessary qualification to seize the opportunity and join the university to study education.
The local leadership and residents widely condemned the teachers' employer for withdrawing the teachers, a moved they called discriminatory and damaging to the rights of learners.
However while appearing before the House Education Committee, commisson CEO Nancy Macharia defended the withdrawal of teachers. She said 42 teachers have been killed since 2014 in the Northeast.
In September last year, Abdi visited Umma University and discussed access to and retention in university for students from marginalised backgrounds.
(Edited by V. Graham)
