Candidates who sat for Primary Teacher Examinations (PTE) in year 2020 can now visit their colleges to collect their PTE certificates.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has released the certificates for collection despite the huge confusion that surrounded the results which were released this year.
Knec had released PTE results in February and later recalled them thus creating confusion to the candidates who had already received the results from their colleges and had stayed with them for some days.
In the initial results candidates had huge number of quality grades especially Distinctions which raised eyebrows on authenticity of the results.
Many candidates also performed well in English and Mathematics which is unusual in a PTE exam.
However after making changes many candidates who scored Distinction got affected as they were awarded Credit pass instead. The number of quality grades reduced in affected subjects.
Knec has already issued a timetable for candidates who failed in some subjects to take a resit.
According to the table the resits will start on Tuesday 13th July 2021 with practicals for Kenya Sign Language expressive skills.
The rehearsals will take place on Monday 12th July 2021. On Wednesday 14th the candidates will sit for Mathematics paper 1 for science students and Art and Craft paper 1 for Arts students.
Last year candidates are the last lot to sit for the PTE exams after the Ministry of Education phased out the P1 Course and replaced it with Diploma for Primary Teacher Education (DPTE).
The Ministry also introduced Diploma for Early Childhood Development Education (DECDE) which replaces the regular ECDE certificate and Diploma.
However Ministry officials have been getting challenges in getting candidates to join the Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) during the first and second intake due to the high academic qualifications which most of the applicants are unable to meet.
The following are the minimum admission requirements for the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education in Kenya set by the Ministry.
a) KCSE Mean Grade of C (Plain) with a C (plain) in the following cluster subjects.
i. English
ii. Kiswahili;
iii. Mathematics;
iv. Humanities (Any one subject);
v. Sciences (Any one subject) in pure or technical and applied sciences.
b) For candidates with disabilities the minimum entry grade is C- (Minus) and a C- (Minus) in the cluster of subjects stated above.
The duration of the course shall be three (3) years in accordance with the approved Curriculum designs.
During a high level consultative meeting held in Machakos TTC early May this year which involved top Ministry officials, Principals of Teacher Training Colleges and other Stakeholders, it emerged only 1400 applicants qualified to join Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) and Early Childhood Development Education (DECDE) in June this year, and who were distributed to six various Public Teacher Training Colleges.
They were distributed to Machakos TTC in Machakos, Thogoto TTC in Kiambu, Shanzu TTC in Mombasa, Egoji TTC in Meru, Baringo TTC in Baringo, and Migori TTC in Migori which they joined on 2nd June this year.
However details recently released show that only 400 candidates for DPTE and 200 candidates for DECDE qualified and joined six TTCs.
Tutors who will offer lectures to the first cohort of diploma teachers who joined the six Public TTCs in June this year completed their training between March 8 and 12 this year, meaning that these first group of diploma teachers will purely teach the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in schools.
Under the new plan, TTCs are expected to ensure that the teacher-trainee receives appropriate training and professional development, which will accord them an opportunity to engage in research, since the tutors will guide the teacher trainee appropriately to embrace the shift from the Objective Based to the CBC, which is hinged on use of learner-centered methodologies for realisation of expected outcomes.
CBC focuses majorly on enlarging learners’ knowledge, experiences and imaginative understandings as well as the development of moral values for life-long learning, which necessitated the need to train the tutors to enable them, coach the first cohort of Diploma teachers.
Chairperson of Kenya Teachers College Principals Association (KTCPA) Saul Baraza who is also principal at St. Paul Kibabii Diploma Teachers Training College said that they don’t have a problem with the requirements though he raised concern that Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) will not get the right numbers as per the moment.
“We don’t have a problem on the entry requirements but the only challenge when it comes to operationalization is that it seems out there, there are few candidates with those grades as of now because, when students finish Form Four some of them don’t stay at home for a long time especially those who have done well in Mathematics and Sciences,” said Baraza.
In May it emerged that thousands of unemployed P1 teachers will, starting September this year join the TTCs for one year Diploma course that will put them at par with changes brought by the new curriculum.
Sources from the Ministry of Education said plans are in top gear to advertise for the upgrade chances any time in July this year where interested persons will be allowed to apply, shortlist the applicants and place them in various government Teacher Training Colleges for the upgrade programme.
Soures further said the training will take nine months with guarantee pass for those willing to upgrade starting September 2021 as this will not be a strict regular exam oriented course but an induction.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is currently working on the curriculum design for the upgrade programme which will only focus on equipping the teachers with Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) skills since they have already acquired the basic teaching pedagogies.
The resolution was reached after it emerged that no teacher in future will be employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to join the teaching service without a Diploma.
However TSC said the changes will be gradual and that there is no need for alarm.
TSC has advertised a total of 3,914 replacements for primary and secondary schools to replace teachers who exited service this month.
In the advert TSC said 2,987 posts will go to primary schools while 927 will go to secondary schools.
TSC also advertised 5,000 teaching posts for secondary schools, however 1,000 posts will go to practicing P1 teachers who have bachelors degree with C+ in KCSE and C+ in the two teaching subjects.
Successful P1 teacher applicants will be deployed to teach in high school.
TSC directed qualified candidates to submit their applications online through the Commission’s website, www.tsc. go.keunder ‘Careers’ or teacheronline.tsc.go.ke not later than 12th July, 2021.