Collins Oyuu also said training centres for teachers should be brought closer to cut down the overall cost of training.
Oyuu said he will endeavour to ensure that teachers are not exposed to programs that will frustrate their delivery in class.
The Knut secretary general spoke at KICD buildings in Nairobi during a stakeholders meeting attended by 110 Knut branch executive secretaries.
Also present were top TSC officials led by Director Quality Assurance and Standards Dr. Reuben Nthamburi, KICD and Ministry of Education top officials.
Collins Oyuu said the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) modules can only succeed if teachers interests are taken into account.
He challenged TSC to engage positively with teachers for maximum productivity.
“Engage teachers positively and with respect since a settled teacher will produce maximally,” said Oyuu.
Collins Oyuu statement comes after a lot of tension concerning the recently launched TPD program.
Already 40 Kuppet branch secretaries have made a declaration rejecting the training program which TSC said will take 30 years.
Led by Joseph Chebukaka, Kuppet Chairman National council of organizing secretaries, the National council of organizing secretaries unanimously rejected in totality the TPD modules proposed by TSC based on the following facts.
1. Its international labor practice that any in-service training MUST be funded by the employer.
2. All civil servants in Kenya undergo in-service training and they are sponsored by their respective employers (Government). Teachers will not be an exception.
3. Many teachers are currently pursuing school based graduate and post graduate studies. Making TPD modules compulsory is denying teachers a chance to further their studies.
4. Teachers can only apply for annual leave during holidays. If TPD modules shall only be taught during holidays, then teachers will suffer work without rest for the rest of their lives.
5. What is this that is taught in 30 years? The duration of TPD modules is laughable.
6. Most teachers have spouses who are also teachers. Who will take care of their families during holidays as they go for training?
7. The Kenyan teacher makes schemes of work, lesson plans and lesson notes during holidays as demanded by TPAD. That work is demanding. Time for training would be un-available.
8. The developed countries have no such programs of 30 years. How unique is Kenya?
The council further gave the following proposals for successful TPD rollout;
a) That teachers are not against In-service training if the cost of training will be met by the employer. Training and subsistence costs must be met by the employer
b) That the course period be shortened to 2 years of 1 holiday of choice per module. Teachers are capable of reading all that appertains the training.
c) That the training be offered in our SMASSE training centers. We cannot risk teachers far away from home during this pandemic.
d) The police, military and other public service employees, get promoted after in-service training. Teachers MUST be guaranteed automatic promotion.
The TPD program is facing many wars. Yesterday the Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi announced that he will challenge the contentious Teacher Professional Development (TPD) modules in court.
“After reflecting on what would have been good for my late father and mother, both of whom were great teachers, I have changed my mind. I will act for teachers to challenge the oppressive Teacher Professional Development programme imposed by TSC. Let us get satrted,” said Havi.
Havi backtracked after he earlier warned teachers against dragging him into their own woes they created.
Nelson Havi had declined to petition TSC on the newly issued directive requiring teachers to undertake TPD modules that will see them being issued with a five year renewable teaching certificates.
Havi had declined a request by teachers to take TSC to court over the controversial TPD modules.
Already Mount Kenya University and Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) have advertised for enrolment of the programme that starts in December 2021.
In a statement, Havi had accused teachers of digging their own graves by kicking out of office former Secretary General of Knut Mr. Wilson Sossion.
“Teachers, you left Wilson Sossion to be fought to exhaustion by the state. KNUT withdrew all cases against the state when you replaced Sossion with a Secretary of ‘your preferred choice’. Please, stop calling me to challenge the directive by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) that you be trained afresh,” said LSK President Nelson Havi.
On Wednesday 15th September TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Njeri Macharia rolled out the TPD programme that will see teachers study for a period of thirty years.
“At the end of each module, successful teachers will have their teaching certificates renewed after every five years,” said Macharia.
The modules which are five in number will cost at least shs. 6,000 yearly. The modules are divided into chapters that teachers will during their career life.
Kenyatta University, Riara University, Mount Kenya University and the Kenya Education Management Institute (Kemi) were picked by TSC to train the teachers.
Dr Macharia, said the overall objective of the TPD programme is to continuously develop teachers’ skills and knowledge in line with the 21st-century core competencies.
She also said the refresher courses will boost the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) roll out as teachers will be equipped with requisite skills.