In July 2023 the Kenya Universities and Coleges Central Placement Services (KUCCPS) advertised 11,359 slots for Diploma Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) and 2,081 for Diploma Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) in training colleges (TTCs).

Those who applied are looking forward for reporting date in September so that they can start to study to become teachers.

KUCCPS had opened the portal for candidates who sat for KCSE exams from 2020 to 2022 to apply online.

The TTC entry grade was revised for both DPTE and DECTE courses. Only a mean grade of C (plain) was required for application and ksh 1,500 which was to be paid via Mpesa to KUCCPS.

The applicaton deadline on KUCCPS portal was set to 28/7/2023. Currently the fee structure runs from between sh 72,000 to sh 76,000 per year for public colleges.

It will take one 3 years to complete the teaching course. Tis also includes practicum that takes one full school term.

Previously, to train as a primary school teacher, a student had to have an average grade of C plain but with cluster subjects in mathematics, English and Kiswahili (C) and a C in a science and humanities subject.

However, with the changes, a student must have an average grade of C (plain) without cluster subjects of mathematics, English or Kiswahili. However, to train as a secondary school teacher, a student must have a C plain and a C plus in two subjects.

This is according to recommendations by Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).

The Kenya Teachers Colleges Principals’ Association (KTCPA) urged the Ministry of Education to send circulars to TTCs to allow them to adopt the revised entry requirements.

“The revised entry requirements are very important for the country because, for example, a teacher has to master the content of a subject in which you specialise, so you have to have a higher grade in the subject you want to teach. In the beginning, it was still a C plus in the subject. But what has been reduced is from a C plus to a C plain in the average grade,” said KTCPA chairman Paul Barasa.

Mr Barasa said all TTCs had adopted the competency-based teacher education programme.

“In the primary teacher training colleges, we have the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education, Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education and Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education and I can confirm that all the private and public TTCs have started these programmes which are up and running,” he added.

Kenya has a total of 35 public and 28 private TTCs offering Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE), Diploma in Primary and Secondary Teacher Education.

Education stakeholders said the revised entry requirements will help TTCs that are struggling with low enrolment to boost the number of pre-service teachers. Some TTCs have enrolments of less than 20 students.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu cited inadequate budgetary allocations, poor payment of fees by parents and low enrolment as challenges facing TTCs.

The CS expressed optimism that the revised admission requirements for TTCs will increase the number of pre-service teachers.

“However, this will come with other challenges to maintain the quality of learning. One of the recommendations of the PWPER mandates the ministry to develop guidelines for a one-year retooling and upgrading programme for teachers who graduated before 2023,” the CS said, adding, his ministry has started working on strategies to implement the recommendations of the task force.

Speaking during the annual conference of principals of public and private teacher training institutions at Voyager Hotel in Mombasa, the CS urged teacher educators to produce well-trained teachers who can effectively implement the competency-based curriculum in schools.

In July 2023 the Kenya Universities and Coleges Central Placement Services (KUCCPS) advertised 11,359 slots for Diploma Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) and 2,081 for Diploma Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) in training colleges (TTCs).

Those who applied are looking forward for reporting date in September so that they can start to study to become teachers.

KUCCPS had opened the portal for candidates who sat for KCSE exams from 2020 to 2022 to apply online.

The TTC entry grade was revised for both DPTE and DECTE courses. Only a mean grade of C (plain) was required for application and ksh 1,500 which was to be paid via Mpesa to KUCCPS.

The applicaton deadline on KUCCPS portal was set to 28/7/2023. Currently the fee structure runs from between sh 72,000 to sh 76,000 per year for public colleges.

It will take one 3 years to complete the teaching course. Tis also includes practicum that takes one full school term.

Previously, to train as a primary school teacher, a student had to have an average grade of C plain but with cluster subjects in mathematics, English and Kiswahili (C) and a C in a science and humanities subject.

However, with the changes, a student must have an average grade of C (plain) without cluster subjects of mathematics, English or Kiswahili. However, to train as a secondary school teacher, a student must have a C plain and a C plus in two subjects.

This is according to recommendations by Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).

The Kenya Teachers Colleges Principals’ Association (KTCPA) urged the Ministry of Education to send circulars to TTCs to allow them to adopt the revised entry requirements.

“The revised entry requirements are very important for the country because, for example, a teacher has to master the content of a subject in which you specialise, so you have to have a higher grade in the subject you want to teach. In the beginning, it was still a C plus in the subject. But what has been reduced is from a C plus to a C plain in the average grade,” said KTCPA chairman Paul Barasa.

Mr Barasa said all TTCs had adopted the competency-based teacher education programme.

“In the primary teacher training colleges, we have the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education, Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education and Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education and I can confirm that all the private and public TTCs have started these programmes which are up and running,” he added.

Kenya has a total of 35 public and 28 private TTCs offering Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE), Diploma in Primary and Secondary Teacher Education.

Education stakeholders said the revised entry requirements will help TTCs that are struggling with low enrolment to boost the number of pre-service teachers. Some TTCs have enrolments of less than 20 students.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu cited inadequate budgetary allocations, poor payment of fees by parents and low enrolment as challenges facing TTCs.

The CS expressed optimism that the revised admission requirements for TTCs will increase the number of pre-service teachers.

“However, this will come with other challenges to maintain the quality of learning. One of the recommendations of the PWPER mandates the ministry to develop guidelines for a one-year retooling and upgrading programme for teachers who graduated before 2023,” the CS said, adding, his ministry has started working on strategies to implement the recommendations of the task force.

Speaking during the annual conference of principals of public and private teacher training institutions at Voyager Hotel in Mombasa, the CS urged teacher educators to produce well-trained teachers who can effectively implement the competency-based curriculum in schools.