Advanced training of pre-primary teachers is set to be rolled out in teacher training colleges this September.
The training will be in line with the Competency Based Curriculum and is set to develop a new breed of teachers to handle the education system rolled out in 2018.
Sources say the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has finalised the development of the curriculum to be used in the upgraded training.
The Education Ministry selects students to join teacher training colleges for the ECDE and P1 courses from April each year though the college academic year begins in September.
The government in 2018 halted admission to teachers colleges to give way to the revision of the curriculum, a move that affected the training of pre-primary and primary school teachers.
So too, the colleges will open doors to those seeking to train as primary school teachers who will now undertake a diploma course, unlike the previous certificate training.
However, the qualification for pre-primary has been maintained at certificate level but entry requirement pushed from the previous Grade D in KCSE exams to C minus.
The diploma course for primary school teachers will run for three years while the training for pre-primary teachers will run for one year.
The longer training period is meant to offer the learners enough time to train on content and adequate time for practicals.
The changes are intended to produce better teachers with advanced professional skills.
“The ministry has decided there will be no intake for pre-primary and P1 teacher training this year so that the colleges can prepare for the implementation of diploma in primary education course, which will start in September 2020,” a circular by the Ministry of Education in April last year reads.
The admission criterion for those seeking to enrol for primary school teaching has been raised from KCSE grade C minus to grade C.
Kenya is phasing out the 8-4-4 system introduced by the government of former President Daniel Moi in 1985.
The new breed of teachers will play a key role in implementing CBC.
Edited by R.Wamochie
