KNEC Exposes Teacher Training Gaps as Nearly 5,350 DPTE Candidates Fail to Qualify
More than 5,000 candidates did not qualify, raising concerns about the preparedness of future primary school teachers, and trainees are asking whether a 24-unit course is too heavy
Only 8,332 of the 13,680 candidates who sat the 2023 Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) examinations have qualified to graduate.
That is roughly 61 percent. The remaining 5,348 did not meet the requirements. Many were referred to resit one or more units, and some must restart the course.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) released the results on October 14 as part of a wider release of teacher examination results that also covered the Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (DSTE), TCAE and Special Needs Education (SNE) levels 1 and 2.
Candidates were advised to collect their results from their colleges. KNEC noted that only colleges that had made full payment were issued with their candidates’ results.
For the 8,332 who qualified, the results are a milestone that arrives just as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) prepares to recruit.
But when about four in every ten candidates fail to qualify for a course whose graduates will teach the nation’s primary school pupils, the results point to something larger than individual disappointment.
They expose weaknesses in teacher training and raise questions about how prepared the next generation of primary school teachers really is.
Among trainees, they have also reopened a pointed question: is the DPTE curriculum itself too heavy?
The Numbers Behind the Headlines
The DPTE is a three-year programme, and candidates must have scored at least a mean grade of C (plain) in KCSE to be admitted.
These are students who met the entry standard and invested three years in their training. For 8,332 of them that investment has paid off. For the rest, it has been interrupted by referrals, resits or a requirement to start again.
The grading system explains why consequences differ. A Distinction is the highest grade, followed by Credit (which splits into Credit 1 and Credit 2) and then Pass.
A referral means a candidate must resit one or more units before qualifying. CRNM, or Course Requirement Not Met, means the candidate has not met course requirements, and the consequences depend on the applicable regulations. In colleges, candidates with CRNM are required to restart the course.
Most of those who did not qualify have not been permanently shut out, since referred candidates can resit and clear their outstanding units.
But a resit costs time and money, and it can mean missing the window opened by the coming TSC recruitment.
A Pattern Visible in Individual Colleges
Broken down by college, the national figure shows enormous variation.
At Mosoriot TTC, only seventeen candidates will graduate. Of 944 candidates, 927 were referred.
At St. Mark’s Kigari TTC in Embu, 541 of 860 candidates were referred. Only 11 scored a Distinction and 308 scored Credit.
At Tambach TTC, 578 candidates were referred.
At Kaimosi TTC, 442 of 665 candidates were referred, and at Asumbi TTC, 422 of 750 were referred. At Asumbi, 12 scored Distinction, 88 scored Credit 1, 209 scored Credit 2 and five scored Pass. Another 14 were absent and graded as Fail.
At Thogoto TTC, 367 of 755 candidates were referred.
At Kitui TTC, of 851 registered candidates, just one scored a Distinction. A total of 567 scored Credit, 11 scored Pass and 263 were referred. Nine candidates got CRNM and must restart the course.
At Murang’a TTC, of 782 candidates for the 2023/2024 academic year, six scored Distinction, 564 scored Credit and two scored Pass, while 210 were referred.
At Kenyenya TTC, no candidate scored a Distinction. A total of 476 scored Credit and 230 were referred, while about 18 received CRNM.
At Eregi TTC, there was no Distinction, 568 scored Credit and 256 were referred.
At Madonna TTC in Eldoret, 64 candidates were referred in Mathematics alone, which is concerning given the importance of numeracy in primary teaching.
Pockets of Excellence
Not every college tells a story of failure, and the exceptions show what is possible under the same examination framework.
At Mandera TTC, 610 of 639 candidates scored a Distinction and 14 scored Credit. At Moi TTC Baringo, 252 of 513 candidates scored a Distinction, 247 scored Credit and only 14 were referred.
At Bishop Mahon TTC, no candidate was referred. At Neema Lutheran TTC, of 132 candidates, 53 scored Distinction, 74 scored Credit, three were referred and two were told to restart the course.
The gap between a college where 927 of 944 candidates were referred and one where no one was referred is hard to explain by chance.
Differences in teaching quality, tutor capacity, student commitment, resources and examination readiness may all be at work.
It is important to be careful, though: differences between colleges do not on their own prove that marking was inconsistent or that results were wrong. Only verified data and an explanation from KNEC can establish the causes.
Is 24 Units Too Many?
Among trainees, the loudest complaint is about the sheer size of the course. A DPTE candidate must study, be assessed in and pass 24 units.
These span subject content (English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Physical and Health Education, Home Science, Agriculture, Social Studies, Christian Religious Education, Science and Technology, Art and Craft, Music and Indigenous Languages), professional theory (Educational Resources, ICT Integration, Education Assessment, Research Skills, Educational Leadership and Management, Child Development and Psychology, Inclusive Education, and the sociological, philosophical, historical, comparative and curriculum foundations of education) and practical components (Micro Teaching and Practicum).
Trainees do not dispute that the list reflects the reality of primary teaching, where one teacher often handles most or all subjects in a class.
What they dispute is the expectation that every unit be studied in depth, revised and passed within one course.
Each comes with its own content, assessment requirements and revision demands, and the skills involved differ widely.
Solving a mathematics problem, analysing the philosophical foundations of education, composing music, producing art and craft and delivering a micro-teaching lesson are not tasks one revision strategy can cover.
The pressure is compounded by the rule that a candidate must pass every unit, so someone who does well in most of the course can still be referred in one and see graduation delayed.
Trainees often compare their course with the DSTE, whose candidates specialise in two teaching subjects and can concentrate their energy on a small number of academic areas. DPTE trainees have no such option.
The structure resembles the old Primary Teacher Education (PTE) course, which has been phased out. Trainees say the demands of that generalist model were carried into a diploma programme without the assessment load being rebalanced.
There is a counterargument. Primary schools need versatile teachers, and a graduate who has covered the full range of subjects, along with child psychology, inclusive education and curriculum studies, may be better equipped for the classroom than one trained narrowly.
Practicum and Micro Teaching in particular prepare trainees directly for teaching. Defenders of the model also note that not every unit is equally difficult: some are practical, some rely on continuous assessment, and several theory units overlap.
The perception of 24 heavy papers may be stronger than the reality. Trainees say the issue is not whether they should be trained broadly, but whether every unit needs to be examined at the same intensity.
The workload may also magnify differences between colleges. An institution with fewer resources, or with staffing gaps in specialised units such as Music, Art and Craft or Indigenous Languages, may find it harder to prepare students across the entire list. That is a hypothesis, not a finding.
Why Are So Many Failing?
There is no single agreed explanation, but several are being put forward.
A very high standard of assessment. Some argue that the KNEC summative assessment is set at a standard comparable only to the examinations of the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB), widely regarded as among the most rigorous in the country.
Proponents say this is deliberate and necessary, since teachers shape the next generation. In that view, a high failure rate is the price of quality.
Students not taking their studies seriously. Another explanation is that many students do not take their studies seriously enough. KNEC examinations are known to be very tough, far tougher than university examinations, where lecturers typically set and mark the papers. An externally set national examination leaves little room for last-minute cramming or reliance on a familiar lecturer’s patterns.
Students who skip classes, delay revision or assume a pass will come automatically are the most exposed.
Proponents point to Mandera, Moi Baringo and Bishop Mahon as evidence that disciplined preparation can deliver strong results under the same framework.
An overloaded curriculum. As described above, trainees argue that 24 separately assessed units is more than a determined, capable student can realistically master in the time available.
Challenges with digital assessment. Some candidates say technical problems during the online assessments, including system freezes, network disconnections and timing problems, interfered with their ability to complete or submit answers, and some are calling on KNEC to upgrade its systems.
These remain allegations. Establishing whether technical failures affected anyone’s results would require an official review of examination records and system logs.
But for trainees stretched across 24 units, even a small disruption can matter, since a lost half hour can be the difference between a pass and a referral.
Institutional differences. Staffing, access to digital infrastructure, familiarity with online assessment and the quality of internal assessments may vary widely between colleges, leaving students at poorly resourced institutions at a disadvantage before they sit a single paper.
These explanations are contested, and none has been conclusively established. They are also not mutually exclusive.
A demanding standard, uneven student commitment, a heavy workload, technical glitches and institutional gaps could all be contributing at once.
Separating them will require transparent analysis from KNEC and the Ministry of Education.
Exposing Weaknesses in Teacher Training
The central concern is not the failure rate in isolation but what it says about the system producing Kenya’s primary school teachers.
Primary teachers lay the foundation of the education system, teaching literacy and numeracy in the earliest years, and weaknesses at that level compound as learners progress.
When more than 5,000 trainees fail to meet the standard, it is fair to ask whether colleges are equipping them adequately, whether tutors are teaching to the demands of the national assessment, and whether the curriculum is being delivered effectively.
A high failure rate can be read in two ways. In one reading, KNEC is doing its job by holding trainees to a rigorous standard and refusing to certify those who fall short, and the real problem lies in the colleges.
In the other, the failure rate reveals a system under strain in which colleges, tutors, students, the curriculum and the assessment platform all have gaps. Most observers see elements of both.
Either way, parents and the public have a stake in knowing that those who stand before primary classrooms have mastered both content and pedagogy.
Results Arrive Ahead of TSC Recruitment
TSC Chairperson Jamleck Muturi has said the Commission will carry out a major recruitment of teachers in November, after the conclusion of national examinations and assessments. Result slips are ready and can be collected at the colleges.
Although certificates are yet to be issued, qualified candidates can use their slips to apply for TSC employment while waiting for KNEC to release the certificates.
Candidates should confirm dates and eligibility through official TSC announcements rather than assume anything.
For the 8,332 who qualified, this is a valuable window. For those referred, the resit process now stands between them and recruitment, since TSC recruits only candidates who have met the qualification requirements.
The SNE results also carry weight, as some P1 teachers sat the courses hoping for promotion and deployment to special schools and units.
Reforms Reshaping Teacher Training
The results arrive amid a restructuring of teacher education. Following recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, led by the late Prof. Raphael Munavu, the Ministry issued a circular dated January 19, 2026, signed by then Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr. Julius Bitok.
It abolished the Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) and its upgrading counterpart, UDECTE, and introduced a single three-year course, the Diploma in Teacher Education, Pre-Primary and Primary (DTE, PP & P), which prepares teachers for learners from PP1 and PP2 through Grade 6. The minimum KCSE entry grade remains C (plain).
Key directives included:
- KNEC was directed not to register new candidates under the standalone DECTE or UDECTE streams.
- Colleges must offer the new programme strictly on a full-time basis.
- School-based training modes remain suspended indefinitely, to protect contact hours and instructional quality.
- County and sub-county directors of education must ensure compliance across public and private institutions.
Graduates will be able to seek posts under county governments or apply through the TSC. The candidates receiving results now belong to the earlier programmes, but the reforms raise the stakes.
If a restructured programme is to produce better-prepared teachers, the weaknesses these results reveal, including the question of assessment load, will need to be addressed rather than carried forward.
What Candidates Should Do Now
- Contact your college. Confirm that your institution has received results and find out when and how slips are issued.
- Collect your result slip. It is the key document for now, while certificates remain pending.
- Prepare your documents. Gather identification, academic papers and other credentials ahead of the TSC recruitment.
- Watch for official announcements. Follow TSC and KNEC communications for deadlines and requirements.
- Be patient on certificates. They are expected early next year and will be collected from colleges.
Candidates facing delays because of their college’s payment status should engage college management promptly and keep records of all communication.
For Those Who Did Not Qualify
A referral is a chance to resit and clear the affected units, not the end of the road. Candidates should find out which units they must repeat, when the next sitting is and what revision support their college offers.
Tutors argue that resits need more discipline than the first attempt, and structured revision, past-paper practice and consistent attendance are the surest route to clearing referred units.
Those with CRNM should seek clarity from college administration on the requirements for restarting.
Many affected candidates are preparing to apply for remarking. That is a reasonable step for anyone who believes their result contains an error.
Candidates should first contact their college to confirm the deadline, required documents, fees and the channel for applications, keep copies of their result slips and note the specifics of any technical problems they experienced.
But remarking does not guarantee that marks will rise or that a referral will become a pass, and it does not by itself make a candidate eligible for recruitment.
It also addresses only individual errors, not the structural complaint about workload.
Student welfare also matters. Mass failure can take an emotional toll, and colleges, parents and peers should support affected candidates and encourage them to seek guidance rather than withdraw in discouragement.
What Trainees Want, and Questions That Demand Answers
Trainees are asking for four things:
- A review of the assessment load, including whether some units could be combined, weighted differently or assessed continuously.
- Clarity on the digital examination process and what safeguards exist.
- An explanation for why referral rates vary so widely between colleges.
- Plain guidance on what each result category means, what deadlines apply and how outstanding units can be cleared.
None of these requests assumes the results are wrong. They ask for explanation and for a system trainees can understand and plan for. According to available reports, KNEC has not yet responded to these concerns in detail.
The broader questions are just as pressing. Is the assessment standard clearly communicated to colleges and tutors? Were the technical complaints investigated, and did they affect scores?
Why do results differ so dramatically between colleges following the same curriculum? Are trainees being prepared, and motivated, to take national assessments seriously from their first year?
Teacher unions, tutors’ associations, parents and education experts are likely to press KNEC and the Ministry for answers.
Reviewing the assessment load, upgrading the e-assessment platform, strengthening tutor capacity, building a culture of serious preparation and supporting struggling colleges are among the measures that could restore confidence.
Conclusion
The 2023 DPTE results tell two stories at once. For the 8,332 candidates who qualified, there is cause for celebration and a timely chance to compete in the TSC recruitment.
For the more than 5,000 who did not, and for the system that trained them, the results are a warning.
A system in which roughly four in ten candidates do not qualify cannot be dismissed as having a few bad colleges or a few careless students.
It points to deeper questions about trainee preparation, the capacity of institutions, the reliability of the assessment system and the design of the course itself.
Trainees say what they want is simple: to become teachers, and to walk a road that a determined, capable student can realistically complete.
As TSC prepares to recruit and the new DTE, PP & P programme takes shape, the sector faces a test of whether it can turn these numbers into reform. The quality of teaching in Kenya’s primary schools depends on the answer.