The Teachers Service Commission appears to have retreated from its initial recommendation to scrap the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree programme starting September this 2021.

Through a presentation to university deans, the commission had recommended that teacher trainees undertake either a three-year Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree, study three teaching subjects and later study for a post-graduate diploma in education. Currently, B.Ed students specialize in two teaching subjects in addition to education units studied from the first year.

Since the revelation of the controversial proposal, there has been heated debate from stakeholders in the education sector. It also caused anxiety among trained but jobless teachers that they could be locked out of employment. A section of teachers has also felt disturbed about the idea of retraining and adapting a third teaching subject. Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has already supported the recommendation to change teacher training.

Related stories:

Relief to teachers as a legislator saves their 2021-2025 CBA From Lethal Shackles of TSC, SRC

New: Lists Of TSC Promoted Teachers 2021 Per County

Diploma in primary and early childhood teacher education intake 2021

All P1 Teachers To Upgrade To Diploma

TSC Proposes Scrapping Of Bachelor Of Education Degree

Universities Oppose TSC’s Move To Scrap Education Degree and To Send P1 teachers back to school

However, the TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia now says that a decision has not been made yet and that if changes to teacher training will be effected, they will not disadvantage past or present holders of the B.Ed degree.

“I wish to assure all stakeholders that the TSC has no powers to scrap any university degree. The role of determining degrees to be offered in universities is the sole prerogative of university senates, which are in charge of academic programmes under the regulation of the Commission for University Education. The TSC’s mandate is limited to reviewing and advising on the standards of education and training of persons entering the teaching service in Kenya,” said Macharia.

Macharia explained that the new entry grades for teachers had originated from a report by a task force on the implementation of the competency based curriculum (CBC).

“Such reforms will be implemented in a methodical, systematic and phased manner that will not disadvantage any past or present graduate of a valid education degree. A date of implementation will clearly be spelt out in a manner that will ensure a seamless transition from the 8-4-4 education system to the new CBC,” Macharia said.

However, the recommendations contained in a document titled, Framework on Entry Requirements in the Teaching Service, prepared by the director, Quality Assurance and Standards, Dr Reuben Nthamburi, even have timelines for implementation.

“It is proposed that the above be used as a basis for admission into teacher education… from September 2020,” it reads.

Deans of schools of education from various universities offering the B.Ed programme are finalising a joint response to the TSC proposal.

Kenyatta University VC Paul Wainaina strongly opposed the TSC recommendations. In a response he presented to the Inter-Public University Council Consultative Forum, he faulted the plan to do away with the degree course, which has been taught in Kenyan universities since 1970.

Last year, The Ministry of Education phased out the training of certificate in primary teacher education, commonly known as P1, and replaced it with a diploma in primary teacher education. The first intake was done last month, even though it attracted few applicants since most students did not meet the new entry requirements.

The government has plans to employ 15000 secondary school teachers in 3 phases of 5000 teachers each in the next three years.

However, the teachers service commission, TSC has confirmed that it has no plans to recruit primary school teachers, a confirmation that has thrown the fate of thousands of unemployed P1 teachers into uncertainty.

In its efforts to fill staffing gaps in schools, TSC will also engage the services of 5,500 intern teachers annually for the next three years in a one-year contract.

The details of all these plans are contained in the programme-based budget 2021 estimates, which also confirms TSC as one of the largest beneficiaries of funding from the exchequer.

The exchequer has allocated TSC KSH. 281.7 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year, up from ksh. 266b in the last financial year.

Over the years, TSC has been struggling to sort staffing shortages, and that wont end even with the recruitment of teachers. Most of the money received by TSC is channeled towards staffing.

Read also:

Why Current Unemployed P1 Teachers May Remain Unemployed Forever

All In service Teachers and Unemployed Teachers To Pursue A mandatory Post Training Certificate

Updated: Lists Of TSC Promoted Teachers 2021 Per County

Universities Oppose TSC’s Move To Scrap Education Degree and To Send In-service Teachers Back To Class

TSC Proposes Scrapping Of Bachelor Of Education Degree

Proposed New Entry Qualifications for teacher education For CBC

Recommendations of TSC concerning Teacher education Employment Qualifications At All Education levels

As TSC is planning to recruit 5000 teachers and 3, 500 interns in secondary school each year for the next three years, primary schools will not expect any additional teachers since TSC argues that the phasing out of 8-4-4 will reduce workloads in primary schools significantly. Primary schools will only be entitled to 2000 interns per year. Since the government is also doing away with P1 certificate, unemployed P1 teachers have a lot of uncertainties.

For tertiary institutions, only 67 tutors will be hired in 2021/2022 financial year and another 68 in the next financial year.

It raises concerns that in the budget proposal, TSC does not refer to any details of a payment deal with teachers. TSC claims that the teachers’ unions have not engaged it for a new collective bargaining agreement, despite the 31^st June expiry of the current CBA.

All secondary school teachers in Kenya will be forced to teach a third subject on top of the two teaching subjects they are currently teaching. This follows the proposal by the teachers’ service commission, TSC to scrap education degree.

If the proposal goes through, all currently employed high school teachers and unemployed graduate teachers will have to pursue a mandatory post training course, which will last 9 months. It is expected that alongside the course units for the additional course, pedagogical approaches to the three teaching subjects will be handled. Teachers therefore have to get a third subject which they will train to teach in the competency based curriculum, alongside the two current ones.

What is not clear is whether current teachers and teacher graduates who scored below B- in any of the three teaching subjects will be allowed to teach senior secondary schools. The conditions for recruitment as a teacher for senior secondary schools, according to the proposal in the policy document, framework for entry in the teaching service, are;

1. A three year Bachelor of Arts or science degree, followed by a one year post graduate diploma in education.
2. KCSE mean grade of C plus or its equivalent
3. B minus in the three teaching subjects

Related stories:

All In service Teachers and Unemployed Teachers To Pursue A mandatory Post Training Certificate

Updated: Lists Of TSC Promoted Teachers 2021 Per County

Universities Oppose TSC’s Move To Scrap Education Degree and To Send In-service Teachers Back To Class

TSC Proposes Scrapping Of Bachelor Of Education Degree

Proposed New Entry Qualifications for teacher education For CBC

Recommendations of TSC concerning Teacher education Employment Qualifications At All Education levels

So the major worry is whether the affected teachers will remain in senior secondary schools or will be demoted to junior secondarys schools, despite their higher qualifications. Currently, TSC insists on C+ in the teaching subjects. In as much as most teachers must have scored C+ and above in the two teaching subjects they are currently handling or about to start handling, getting a third subject will be a very hard task for teachers since either the B- qualification factor will lock them out, or the relationship between the third subject and the current two subjects will be hard to trace. For instance, a biology and chemistry teacher who did only two sciences in high school and probably scored below B- in mathematics, will have languages and humanities as the only options for the third subject. Logically, there is no relationship between sciences and humanities and this might give the teacher a very hard time with the weird combination.  Furthermore, its long since teachers interacted with that third subject and they will need subject matter knowledge more than the pedagogical knowledge that they are expected to receive during the nine months’ training.

A perusal through the policy document by TSC titled, Framework for Entry in the Teaching Service, training for teachers at the university, makes one to expect massive changes in teacher education.

TSC has embarked on a transformative agenda, which will see the framework for entry in the teaching service revised.

“All the 8-4-4 and Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) students must undertake first, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science courses for a period of three years majoring on the key subjects and, thereafter, undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in Education for a period of one year for teaching at junior and senior school and SNE (Special Needs Education),” the document stipulates.

“Diploma in Education courses for CBC students at each level shall be three years after 8-4-4 and senior school since they will have had time for specialization in the content areas,” the document reads.

Admission into all diplomas and degrees in teacher education courses shall be ”demand-driven”, meaning the number of teachers graduating each year will be controlled.

The Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) has expressed dissatisfaction with the contents of the document.

Read also:

Updated: Lists Of TSC Promoted Teachers 2021 Per County

TSC Proposes Scrapping Of Bachelor Of Education Degree

Proposed New Entry Qualifications for teacher education For CBC

Recommendations of TSC concerning Teacher education Employment Qualifications At All Education levels

“They want to erase the Bachelors of Education programme so that all students just enroll for either Bachelor of Arts or of Science. When they graduate and one is interested in teaching, he or she must return for a postgraduate diploma in education,” said Dr Wilfridah Itolondo, Kenyatta University UASU chapter vice-chairperson.

University lecturers feel this could be a plan to cleverly implement recommendations by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on cutting budgets and expenditure in some state corporations, which may involve freezing of new employment or pushing for retrenchments as the qualification for a Sh257 billion loan to Kenya.

According to the union, this move will push thousands of trainers in the faculty of education out of employment.

“In fact, according to us, it might just be one of the measures being taken to address the IMF report,” claimed Dr Itolondo.

The lecturers through their union have vowed to resist any structural changes without involving them.

Kenyatta University UASU chapter secretary, Dr George Lukoye, said whereas they are not opposed to any reforms, they are only demanding to be involved as key stakeholders.

“It is no secret that Kenyatta University is facing high financial risks. These financial risks may have been exacerbated by the Covid-19. The union looks forward to the IMF and the relevant government agencies to carry out a thorough and in-depth forensic audit to ascertain how the university found itself in this financial crisis,” said Dr Lukoye

• That the minimum qualification for entry into teaching in Kenya at all levels be a Diploma in Education.
• Admission into the ALL Diplomas and Degrees in teacher Education Courses shall be Demand Driven
• That the Diploma in Education courses for CBC students at each level shall be Three years after 844 and senior school since they will have had time for specialization in the content areas.

Read also:

TSC Proposes Scrapping Of Bachelor Of Education Degree

Proposed New Entry Qualifications for teacher education For CBC

• There is need to have pathways for teacher education at Diploma level (ECDE, Junior and Senior Secondary, SNE)
• That there is a Diploma in Secondary Education which will cater for defined learning areas/Subjects required in Junior and Senior Secondary level which have shortages
• All the 8-4-4 and CBC students must undertake first the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Courses for a period 3 years majoring on the key subjects and thereafter undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in Education for a period of one year for teaching at Junior and Senior school and SNE .
• That there shall be a Postgraduate Diploma in Teacher Education to cater for Teacher Education learning areas. This will be for preparing Teacher Educators who will be training the preservice Teachers at the Teacher training colleges.
• That there shall be a minimum of One – School Term Practicum at all levels of Teacher Education, assessed by external examiners.
• That the in-service teachers and qualified – registered teachers outside employment be inducted and certified to offer the Competency Based Curriculum.
• That a Curriculum for Teacher Educators (Trainers) be developed by KICD and TSC in collaboration with Universities and CUE that shall gradually form a basis for employment of (appointment of) Teacher Educators.
• That Assessment at Teacher Education level shall be a balance of the Formative and Summative.
• There shall be a need to develop a Kenya Teacher Education Policy to anchor all the proposals in this document.
• There is need for TSC to set up Institute of Teacher Support and professional development
• Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (PP1&PP2)
• Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (Grade 1-6 )
• Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (Junior (7-9) and Senior (10-12) Secondary Level)
• BA/BSC with Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Junior and Senior Secondary, SNE)
• BA/BSC with Postgraduate Diploma in Teacher Education (Teacher Educator)
• Diploma in Special Needs Teacher Education (Specialized Curriculum areas-  Autism, Deaf, blind, multiple disabilities and Multiple cerebral palsy for foundation, intermediate, Pre-vocational and vocational levels)
• Diploma in Technical Teacher Education (Appropriate Technical subjects in Junior and Senior Secondary).

Early childhood Development

Certificate is currently redundant

Teachers in pp1 and pp2 will teach all subjects and must have the following qualifications

• Diploma in early childhood teacher education
• KCSE mean grade of C plain
• Mean grade of C in all the subjects

Primary Teacher education

Certificate is currently redundant

Grade 1-6 teachers must meet the following qualifications:

1. Diploma in primary teacher education
2. KCSE mean grade of C plain or its equivalent
3. C plain in all the cluster subjects

Grade 1-6 teachers will teach all subjects at grade 1-3. At grade 4-6, there will some specializations on the indigenous subjects and foreign languages.

Junior Secondary teacher

Grade 7-9 teachers must have the following qualifications

1. Diploma in secondary teacher education
2. Minimum KCSE grade of C+
3. C plus in three teaching subjects

Teachers with diploma in secondary education will teach three subjects at junior secondary or senior secondary.

Read also:

TSC Proposes Scrapping Of Bachelor Of Education Degree

Primary teacher education (SNE)

This category of teachers must meet the following qualifications:

1. Diploma in education (special needs education), specializing in foundations, primary schools and lower secondary schools.
2. KCSE mean grade of C plain or its equivalent
3. C minus in all the cluster subjects

This category of teachers will teach all subjects at foundation, intermediate, pre vocational, vocational, lower secondary schools and primary schools.

Technical teacher education

Teachers in this category will teach three subjects at junior secondary or senior secondary.

This category of teachers will have the following qualifications:

1. Diploma in technical teacher education
2. KCSE mean grade of C plus or its equivalent
3. C plus in the three teaching subjects

For admission into this course, candidates with relevant diplomas and certificates shall be considered.

Secondary teacher education

Teachers at this level will teach three subjects in junior secondary or senior secondary schools. The minimum qualifications for this category of teachers are:

1. A three year Bachelor of Arts or science degree, followed by a one year post graduate diploma in education.
2. KCSE mean grade of C plus or its equivalent
3. B minus in the three teaching subjects

Teacher education educators

Teachers in this category will train potential teachers in primary diploma teacher training colleges and early childhood teacher trainees.

1. A three year Bachelor of Arts or science degree, followed by a one year post graduate diploma in education.
2. KCSE mean grade of C plus or its equivalent
3. B minus in the three teaching subjects