• Aim to ensure colleges produce more competent teachers.
• First batch to report in September, training aligned to new curriculum.
Image: FILE
The government plan to have teachers graduate with a diploma rather than a certificate are advanced.
The curriculum developer will soon release a manual to guide their training.
The pioneers are expected to report to colleges this September and they will be the first lot to conform to training aligned to the new curriculum.
The reforms will require teachers to specialise only in two subjects of their choice — now they are trained in all subjects.
Sources from the Education ministry reveal that the ministry is negotiating with the Treasury to increase financing to improve infrastructure and training, among others.
However, it is not clear if the shift will result in school fees increases in the institutions.
The government will phase out P1 certificate courses in teacher training colleges by next year and replace it with diplomas in an effort to be responsive to the new curriculum demands.
Early and Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang’, appearing before Parliament's Education committee early this year, said this will ensure teaching colleges produce competent and skilled teachers.
“In line with vision 2030, the government has made a commitment to modernise Teachers Training Institutes (TTI) in readiness for Diploma in Primary Education course,” he said.
Once implemented, it would take three years for the students to complete the diploma course, unlike the two-year certificate course.
Extending the duration is meant to offer the learners enough time to train on content and provide adequate time for practicals.
There are 27 public teacher training colleges, of which only Kagumo, Lugari and Kibabii offer diploma training.
Students in the three colleges end up being deployed in secondary schools.
Despite the quarterly grants TTCs receive to support recurrent expenditure, the sector faces a number of problems, notably poor infrastructure.
A number of principals have raised concern that TTCs are given the least priority in the country unlike other sectors, such as Technical Training Institutions.
Besides poor infrastructure, a number of students come from modest backgrounds where fees payment is a big challenge.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)