TSC Finalizes Plans To Completely Halt Employment of P1 Teachers
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has finalized its plans towards ensuring a halt in employment of P1 teachers, who pursued a primary teacher education certificate.
Through its document titled ‘Framework on entry requirement in the teaching service,’ TSC has revealed its plan to do away with PTE certificate as the minimum requirement for entry into teaching service.
Via the same framework, the commission has replaced PTE certificate with a Diploma which will be in line with the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
TSC says for a teacher to be employed to teach Grade 1 to 6 he/she must possess a Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE).
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“That the minimum qualification for entry into teaching in Kenya at all levels be a Diploma in Education,” reads the framework.
According to the framework however, TSC has confirmed that it will recognize post training upgrade certificates for teachers who completed ECDE, PTE, DTE BED, DIP ED and SNE training courses.
The Commission says one must have a minimum Mean Grade C (plain) or its equivalent at KCSE and above and a PTE awarded by Knec.
The teachers will then be allowed to teach Grade 1-3 and 4-6 with some specialization on the indigenous and foreign languages.
According to TSC data at least 229,00 P1 teachers are upgrading their skills in various Teacher Training Colleges (TTCS).
The latest decision by TSC will be a blow to P1 teachers who still have hopes that the Commission will employ them even if they fail to upgrade their Primary Teacher Education(PIE) certificates.
In the July 2022 recruitment of teachers for instance, TSC favoured P1 teachers who have upgraded to Diploma.
The new scoresheet released by the Commission awarded 10 marks to teachers with evidence of CBC upgrade certificate during recruitment interviews.
However no teacher had the Upgrade certificate since the pioneer Upgraders are now set to start their teaching practice when schools reopen in September before being awarded the CBC upgrade certificate.
