Primary school teachers who will graduate with Diploma Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) will be favoured in Teachers Service Commission (TSC) recruitment interviews.
Around 229,000 teachers are currently studying for the Diploma in various approved Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) in the country.
The Commission CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia, during the release of KCSE results in Nairobi, said she is happy that this lot will soon be out and will help in implementing the new curriculum.
A number of Commission officials have hailed P1 teachers who are upgrading their skills and are part of the 229,000 set to graduate with the new Diploma.
A week ago, Mr. David Nganyi, who is the TSC Coast Regional Director in charge of Quality Assurance and Standards, assured the trainee teachers of firsthand employment once they successfully graduate.
Nganyi who was speaking during the Kenya Teachers Colleges Sports Association (KTCA) Coast Region Athletics Championship held at Shanzu TTC, said there is no way TSC could employ the unskilled when there are skilled once out there.
“We are eargerly waiting for you, as soon as you graduate we will directly absorb you so long as you have passed all the units,” said Nganyi.
During the end of last year, TSC Director for Quality Assurance and Standards, Dr. Reuben Nthamburi also hinted on giving first priority to teachers with CBC skills.
Nthamburi urged those teacher who have not enrolled for the upgrade programme to do so before its too late.
A taskforce had recommended both P1 and ECDE teachers to undergo the mandatory training to be at par with the demand of the new curriculum. The training started in October last year.
The trainees will be issued with a Diploma certificate at the end of the training.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) asked college Principals to register Diploma upgrading students for the national assessments by 13th May 2022.
Registration Fees for DPTE Upgrade Programme Assessments
| Assessment Fee Payment Breakdown | Amount (Kes) |
| Basic Fee | 1,200 |
| Assessment Fee for all Subjects | 12,000 |
| Practicum Fee | 2,500 |
| Total Assessment Fees | 15,700 |
In the CBTEC the professional learning areas have been redone to include new information to align them to competency based curriculum.
The CBTEC expects a primary school teacher to be grounded in all the subjects offered in primary schools, therefore upgrading PTE teacher trainee will be exempted from the subjects they had specialised in and take only those they did not take in the certificate course.
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) proposed upgrading Programme distributed as follows:
1. Professional Learning Areas – 414 hours
2. Content and Pedagogy – 786 hours
3. Practicum – 300 hours
Total – 1,500 hours
The upgrading programme shall take 4 terms for DPTE. This period will not be extended despite a suggestion by TTC Principals to extend it by six more months.
Graduates for the Upgrading Programme shall be expected to teach all the subjects offered in the area of training.
The next intake will be in September 2022 for P1 teachers who want to upgrade to the new Diploma.
The taskforce said blended learning and distance learning will be considered in due course.
CALENDAR FOR DIPLOMA UPGRADING STUDENTS
| Term | Opening | Closing | Duration |
| Term 1 | 4th October 2021 | 23rd December 2021 | 12 weeks |
| Holiday | 23rd December 2021 | 3rd January 2022 | 1 week |
| Term 2 | 3rd January 2022 | 8th April 2022 | 14 weeks |
| Holiday | 8th April 2022 | 29th April 2022 | 3 weeks |
| Term 3 | 3rd May 2022 | 5th August 2022 | 14 weeks |
| Holiday | 6th August 2022 | 25th September 2022 | 7 weeks |
| Term 4 | 26th September 2022 | 25th November 2022 | 9 week practicum |
For P1 teachers who want to upgrade to Diploma Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) they must meet the following requirements;
1. The applicant must possess a valid PTE Certificate
2. The applicant must be registered by the Teachers Service Commission.
3. The duration of the course shall be 1500 Hours.
4. The Course shall be fully residential.
5. The trainee shall take all courses specified in the upgrading programme of Diploma in Primary Teacher Education
6. The trainees shall undertake a Teaching Practicum of 300 Hours.
7. To be awarded the Diploma, the trainee must complete the required hours for Course Work and the stipulated assessment by the Kenya National Examination Council.
8. Applicants shall be required to produce evidence of adherence to positive morals and good behavior.