The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has opposed government proposals to lower the entry grade for training Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers, insisting that pre-school teachers must hold high academic qualifications.

While appearing before the Senate Education Committee, TSC Director of Teacher Professional Management, Dr Reuben Nthamburi, said lowering standards would undermine the foundation of learning in Kenya.

“From a professional point of view, I want to plead with the Senate: do not ever think of lowering the qualification of an ECD teacher. It is only in Kenya where we have the lowest qualified teacher teaching ECD. In developed countries, most ECD teachers are master’s degree holders,” he said.

Previously one would only be required to have scored a mean grade D+ in KCSE to study ECDE certificate course and could later advance to Diploma.

However following introduction of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) the government scrapped the ECDE certificate course and replaced it with a Diploma.

It also scrapped the Primary Teacher Education (PTE) certificate course popularly known as ‘P1 certificate’ and replaced it with a Diploma.

In the new arrangement one is required to have scored at least mean grade C (Plain) in KCSE.

ECDE teacher trainees study Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) to handle PP1 and PP2 while primary school trainee teachers study Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) to handle grades 1 to 6. Each take three years.

Many students chose to study DPTE course instead of DECTE due to ease of employment and promotions by TSC and also better pay compared to county governments.

However there is a proposal to merge the two courses into one course, Diploma in Teacher Education (DTE).

The changes are part of the reforms proposed by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).

Upon graduation the teachers will then be registered by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to handle Nursery and Primary schools (PP1 and PP2 and Grades 1 to 6).

The teachers can then seek employment by the county government or even TSC after receiving their TSC numbers.

However efforts must be made to ensure all stakeholders are adequately sensitised on these changes.

Graduates of this new programme will be expected to competently teach pre-primary one and two, and grades one to six.

The entry requirements will remain a minimum of C (plain) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.

Since early childhood education is the responsibility of county governments, the graduates of this new programme will have the option of either working under the county governments or the national government under the Teachers Service Commission.

According to the PWPER report, more reforms could be underway. The report observed that tutors have the responsibility of shaping teachers well-equipped with the requisite pedagogical knowledge and skills, however, there is no institution responsible for setting standards.

Hence the need for a national framework to provide standards. The report also noted that while micro-teaching allows teacher trainees to improve their teaching skills and gives them teaching experience, colleges continue to adopt varied structures and approaches, making the standardisation of practicum assessment difficult.

This calls for harmonisation. The proposed and on-going reforms in teacher education, if well implemented, will see colleges attract and develop effective teachers who will drive the changes envisaged in the new curriculum.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has opposed government proposals to lower the entry grade for training Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers, insisting that pre-school teachers must hold high academic qualifications.

While appearing before the Senate Education Committee, TSC Director of Teacher Professional Management, Dr Reuben Nthamburi, said lowering standards would undermine the foundation of learning in Kenya.

“From a professional point of view, I want to plead with the Senate: do not ever think of lowering the qualification of an ECD teacher. It is only in Kenya where we have the lowest qualified teacher teaching ECD. In developed countries, most ECD teachers are master’s degree holders,” he said.

Previously one would only be required to have scored a mean grade D+ in KCSE to study ECDE certificate course and could later advance to Diploma.

However following introduction of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) the government scrapped the ECDE certificate course and replaced it with a Diploma.

It also scrapped the Primary Teacher Education (PTE) certificate course popularly known as ‘P1 certificate’ and replaced it with a Diploma.

In the new arrangement one is required to have scored at least mean grade C (Plain) in KCSE.

ECDE teacher trainees study Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) to handle PP1 and PP2 while primary school trainee teachers study Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) to handle grades 1 to 6. Each take three years.

Many students chose to study DPTE course instead of DECTE due to ease of employment and promotions by TSC and also better pay compared to county governments.

However there is a proposal to merge the two courses into one course, Diploma in Teacher Education (DTE).

The changes are part of the reforms proposed by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).

Upon graduation the teachers will then be registered by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to handle Nursery and Primary schools (PP1 and PP2 and Grades 1 to 6).

The teachers can then seek employment by the county government or even TSC after receiving their TSC numbers.

However efforts must be made to ensure all stakeholders are adequately sensitised on these changes.

Graduates of this new programme will be expected to competently teach pre-primary one and two, and grades one to six.

The entry requirements will remain a minimum of C (plain) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.

Since early childhood education is the responsibility of county governments, the graduates of this new programme will have the option of either working under the county governments or the national government under the Teachers Service Commission.

According to the PWPER report, more reforms could be underway. The report observed that tutors have the responsibility of shaping teachers well-equipped with the requisite pedagogical knowledge and skills, however, there is no institution responsible for setting standards.

Hence the need for a national framework to provide standards. The report also noted that while micro-teaching allows teacher trainees to improve their teaching skills and gives them teaching experience, colleges continue to adopt varied structures and approaches, making the standardisation of practicum assessment difficult.

This calls for harmonisation. The proposed and on-going reforms in teacher education, if well implemented, will see colleges attract and develop effective teachers who will drive the changes envisaged in the new curriculum.