The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) now wants entry grades to teachers training colleges reduced and graduates from universities subjected to one-year induction courses at the yet to be established National Institute of Education.
In proposals to the task force on curriculum review chaired by Kenyatta University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Fatuma Chege, Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the entry grade for diploma (primary) programmes should be C plain while diploma for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) should be C-.
Already, the Ministry of Education has stopped admitting students into primary teachers colleges effective September this year in anticipation of admission of diploma teachers next year.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is working on the diploma curriculum, with students expected to report next September. The institutions used to admit about 20,000 students annually while private colleges took in about 4,000.
The task force, which is sitting at KICD in Nairobi, has been receiving proposals from stakeholders and has until next year to submit its report.
Knut has proposed that diploma education takes a minimum of three years.
“Entry requirement for degree programmes in teacher education should be maintained at the present level, the same to the training of four years,” says Knut in the proposal.
According to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), those joining ECDE must have D+, diploma colleges a C+, diploma for the visual and hearing impaired C, P1 C while a bachelor’s degree C+.
Mr Sossion says that teacher education programmes are designed to develop professionals who are prepared to meet challenges of the 21st century classroom and workplace.
He wants the ministry to put more emphasis on student internship at all levels of teacher education.
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