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