Principals of Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) have been challenged to provide rigorous training to prospective teachers to enable them meet the expectations of the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC).
The call was made by the Director for Teacher Education Ms Margaret Mwandale who said colleges should ensure that the students they admit for the three year training programme have the appropriate knowledge and skills to teach CBC at the end of the training period.
‘The government expects the teachers to attain the necessary curriculum content and teaching knowledge to effectively teach learners at the primary education levels under the CBC system of education.’ Mwandale revealed.
She was speaking when she met the principal of Galana TTC in Kilifi County,Mr. Luke Chebet.
The Ministry of Education has upgraded the Certificate in Primary Teacher Education to Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) and also introduced a Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education(DECTE) course to teach at pre-primary education levels.
It has also introduced a nine month programme for Pl teachers to upgrade their credentials to Diploma levels.The move is to enable the teachers attain the same footing as teachers who will attain Diploma status upon completing a three year training course in TTCs.
Teachers who already hold Pl certifications but have not secured employment positively responded to the invitation to upgrade their teaching credentials.
The government will roll out a school based upgrading programme for Pl teachers already in employment once the school calendar normalizes.
Mr. Chebet said the colleges have the capacity to provide the expected training experience following the change in the curriculum for teacher training.
