After dismissal of a petition challenging implementation of the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) now focus shifts to government to fulfill its promise by funding the programme.

This week the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nakuru dismissed a petition by Mr Joseph Ngethe Karanja who wanted the programme disbanded citing lack of public participation and violation of teachers’ rights.

Justice David Nderitu gave the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) the green light to continue with the execution of the TPD programme after finding the process to be in line with the Constitution.

However teachers are now looking forward for Dr William Ruto’s government to fulfil its promise by shouldering the cost of training.

During the campaigns and manifesto launch at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani, Nairobi, Ruto said his government will pay for the controversial teacher training programme.

This pledge by now the fifth President of the republic is further emphasized through the Kenya Kwanza Education Charter.

“Ensure that all the government initiated capacity building trainings including Teacher Continous Professional Development are undertaken by trainers free of charge,” reads the document.

However it is still unclear when this promise will be fulfilled. In September after schools closed teachers were asked to attend for their training and were required to pay sh 6,000 for the introductory module which ends in December.

“September 2022 Intake is ongoing and the online training will be conducted from Monday 19^th September 2022 to Friday 23^rd September 2022,” read an advert by Mount Kenya University.

It will cost Dr Ruto’s government at least sh 2 billion each year to meet the cost of training TSC employed teachers. There are at least 320,000 teachers in TSC payroll.

TSC announced the launch of the TPD on September 22, 2021, requiring all the teachers registered with the commission to undertake the six-module course that would form the basis of their promotion and employment going forward.

Each teacher is to pay Sh6,000 for each module, which would be valid for five years, before taking the next module.

It appointed Mt Kenya University, Kenyatta University, Riara University and the Kenya Education Management Institute to offer the professional training.

The training has till now being largely online with fewer cases where teachers attend physically to various accredited institutions for their training.

Despite teachers unions calling for the Commission to reduce the period of training teachers this is yet to happen.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) through its secretary general, Collins Oyuu, also asked TSC to exclude teachers who are aged and about to retire from the programme.

Oyuu said that Knut and TSC agreed that the commission organizes sensitisation workshops for all teachers so as to make them understand TPD and its implementation. 

He said that the resistance that was witnessed after the TPD programme was rolled out was occasioned by the fact that proper sensitization was not done.

TSC has insisted that all registered teachers must attend the training at their own cost.

There are six modules in the programme. The training is conducted during holidays. At the end of each module, teachers will be given several points.

After completing all the modules, teachers will be eligible for re-certification and promotion since the modules have been anchored in the career progression guidelines.

After dismissal of a petition challenging implementation of the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) now focus shifts to government to fulfill its promise by funding the programme.

This week the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nakuru dismissed a petition by Mr Joseph Ngethe Karanja who wanted the programme disbanded citing lack of public participation and violation of teachers’ rights.

Justice David Nderitu gave the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) the green light to continue with the execution of the TPD programme after finding the process to be in line with the Constitution.

However teachers are now looking forward for Dr William Ruto’s government to fulfil its promise by shouldering the cost of training.

During the campaigns and manifesto launch at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani, Nairobi, Ruto said his government will pay for the controversial teacher training programme.

This pledge by now the fifth President of the republic is further emphasized through the Kenya Kwanza Education Charter.

“Ensure that all the government initiated capacity building trainings including Teacher Continous Professional Development are undertaken by trainers free of charge,” reads the document.

However it is still unclear when this promise will be fulfilled. In September after schools closed teachers were asked to attend for their training and were required to pay sh 6,000 for the introductory module which ends in December.

“September 2022 Intake is ongoing and the online training will be conducted from Monday 19^th September 2022 to Friday 23^rd September 2022,” read an advert by Mount Kenya University.

It will cost Dr Ruto’s government at least sh 2 billion each year to meet the cost of training TSC employed teachers. There are at least 320,000 teachers in TSC payroll.

TSC announced the launch of the TPD on September 22, 2021, requiring all the teachers registered with the commission to undertake the six-module course that would form the basis of their promotion and employment going forward.

Each teacher is to pay Sh6,000 for each module, which would be valid for five years, before taking the next module.

It appointed Mt Kenya University, Kenyatta University, Riara University and the Kenya Education Management Institute to offer the professional training.

The training has till now being largely online with fewer cases where teachers attend physically to various accredited institutions for their training.

Despite teachers unions calling for the Commission to reduce the period of training teachers this is yet to happen.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) through its secretary general, Collins Oyuu, also asked TSC to exclude teachers who are aged and about to retire from the programme.

Oyuu said that Knut and TSC agreed that the commission organizes sensitisation workshops for all teachers so as to make them understand TPD and its implementation. 

He said that the resistance that was witnessed after the TPD programme was rolled out was occasioned by the fact that proper sensitization was not done.

TSC has insisted that all registered teachers must attend the training at their own cost.

There are six modules in the programme. The training is conducted during holidays. At the end of each module, teachers will be given several points.

After completing all the modules, teachers will be eligible for re-certification and promotion since the modules have been anchored in the career progression guidelines.