Mandatory CBC Training for All Teachers
Beginning in April 2024, all teachers registered with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will be expected to participate in a one-year mandatory school-based training program to adapt to changes in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). However, it is unclear whether the cost of this training will be borne by the government or the teachers themselves.
This suggestion is part of a draft report submitted to President William Ruto at the State House by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER). Ruto has already implemented the recommendations of the Education Reforms Taskforce, highlighting the necessity to retrain instructors in light of curricular changes.
The committee recommended that the Ministry of Education adopt standards for all instructors who graduated before 2023 to participate in this one-year required retooling and upgrading program to correspond with curricular changes.
The taskforce’s leader, Professor Raphael Munavu, advocated for the development of comprehensive Faculty Staff programs to prepare for competency-based teacher training.
Furthermore, the task committee proposed that applicants to pre-service teacher education programs receive a minimum grade of C (Plain) in order to increase the number and quality of instructors entering the field. Specific pre-service courses requiring a C (Plain) were also noted, including the Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education, Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education, Diploma in Special Needs Education, and Diploma in Technical Teacher Education.
In addition, the proposal proposed establishing the Kenya Teacher Training College (KeTTC) to administer all pre-service teacher training institutes (TTCs) as campuses, with the goal of optimizing resource allocation and distribution.
Furthermore, the report advocated for the establishment of the Kenya School of Teacher and Education Management (KeSTEM) as a corporate entity to manage all in-service programs for institutional directors and education executives.
KeSTEM would also equip teachers with continuous professional development (CPD) using resources given by Kenya Teacher Training Colleges (KeTTC).
It is vital to highlight that University Senates will continue to set admission standards for Bachelor of Education degree programs. In addition, after completing pre-service training, education graduates will be eligible to engage in an obligatory one-year internship program through the Teachers Service Commission.
Since its inception, the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has faced numerous obstacles, including a teacher shortage in the Junior Secondary (JS) sector and issues with the compensation structure for JS instructors.
These difficulties have remained, with reports showing that a large percentage of qualified primary school teachers have not applied for positions teaching junior secondary as of July 2023, despite TSC’s efforts to hire additional primary school teachers.
