•TSC is alleged to fear the ministry's plan will take their place in the review of education and training
•If adopted, Kenya is likely to follow the footsteps of colonial master Britain that offers a one-year post-graduate diploma
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A proposal to scrap the Education degree by the ministry is facing opposition from the teachers' employer.
Despite receiving major backing from secondary school teachers and principals, insiders familiar with the proposal say it could wait longer as it lacks goodwill from the Teachers Service Commission.
Scrapping the degree has been in the offing since 2005 when the idea was first introduced through the Sessional paper No.1 of 2005.
This was later backed by the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association in 2016, this time proposing formation of the Kenya School of Teaching.
However, it remained a pipe dream with allegations of conflict of interest over the plan between the TSC and the ministry.
TSC is alleged to have feared the ministry plan would take their place in the review of education and training of persons entering the teaching service.
Further, the commission felt the government would strip it of the mandate to register trained teachers.
In addressing the two concerns, TSC proposed to establish an institution similar to the Kenya School of Education that it would run and manage.
This would put the commission at the centre of managing and certification of teachers, something the ministry is against.
The commission is accused of failing to send a representative to various meetings held by the ministry to deliberate on the matter.
If adopted, Kenya is likely to follow the footsteps of colonial master Britain that offers a one-year post-graduate diploma.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a one- or two-year higher education course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which provides training in order to allow graduates to become teachers.
In England, there are two routes available to gaining a PGCE – either on a traditional university-led teacher training course or school-led teacher training before they acquire the qualified teacher status.
The proposal could affect primary school teachers doing their degree programme over August and December holidays.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers on Wednesday rejected move by the government to form an institution mandated with training teachers.
Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion the proposal is a duplication of mandate.
"We will not buy this idea as a union. The purpose of teacher training colleges is to produce a wholesome teacher ready to work after completing their study," Sossion told the Star.
Instead, the union proposes that the government lengthens teaching practice— equivalent to internship.