Magoha denies plan on education degree’s scrapping

Education CS George Magoha has distanced himself from his PS Belio Kipsang's exposure of plans by the government to scrap education degree.

Speaking in Embu on Friday, Magoha said he has not heard about the plan "which must be fake if I haven't heard of it". 

He said the education degree cannot be scrapped as "it’s the most powerful because through it one must be taught how to deliver content."

He said he will find out about the proposal. 

Kipsang' on May 13 hinted at the new policy shift but was cagey on the details.

"We are still in the formation of the Kenya School of Education to centralise our matters, teaching and management with the help of the TSC," Kipsang said at the Kenya School of Government.

The PS said the proposal seeks to prepare educators' public personalities and teaching styles as well as develop their classroom interaction skills.

In radical proposals by Education ministry policy experts, the popular B.Ed will be abolished and replaced with a five-year rigorous teacher training programme.

Under the proposal, secondary school graduates who qualify to join university will do basic degrees in either science or arts before proceeding for a one-year postgraduate diploma training.

The Teachers Service Commission will enrol them as teachers after successful completion of the postgraduate diploma.

Magoha was speaking at Urban Primary School in Embu on an impromptu visit to find out how the delivery of books by the government has been going on.

He revealed that the Kenya Certificate of Primary and Secondary Education exams were ready.

The CS advised candidates to finish the syllabus and not rush to revise but that they should first understand the content. 

Magoha urged them not to be filled with apprehension over the exams assuring them that only what is within the syllabus and how it’s applied will be tested. 

“Some of the questions I could pass without reading and so if you cover the syllabus I don’t see why you be worried about the coming exam,” he said.

He also expressed his surprise that most of the Early Childhood Education teachers are female, noting that they were handling the pupils very professionally.

Magoha said the teachers will further be empowered by the government to deliver their services more effectively.

He said he had made several spot checks in various schools in the country and that he was satisfied that the books have been supplied according to the number required.

He lauded the principals who have beefed up security in their schools to prevent burning of schools by students and urged parents to take up their responsibility of guiding their children.