Inside Plan To Lower Entry Grades to TTC From C+ to C, And C- For Marginalized Regions
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms recently presented its second interim report to President William Ruto, which focused on tertiary and teacher education.
However, unlike when the team submitted its first report on December 1, 2020, State House did not issue any statements and the president’s social media pages made no reference to the delegation’s meeting, led by academician Prof Raphael Munavu.
In contrast, after the first progress report, which dealt with basic education and specifically the transition from Grade 6 to Grade 7, the government gave various directives, including the recruitment of 30,000 teachers and the domiciling of junior secondary schools in existing primary institutions.
An insider familiar with the workings of the education task force said this was a clear acceptance and endorsement of the first report by President Ruto, as he acted immediately based on the report. The team now has until the end of March to submit its final report.
The second interim report has revealed finer details of the proposed reforms, including a proposal to lower the entry grades to teacher training colleges from C+ to C, with exceptions made for marginalised regions where the entry grade would be further lowered to C-.
This proposal is likely to be controversial, as it may be seen to lower the quality of teaching in Kenya. However, supporters argue that it will provide an opportunity for more students to access teacher training, which could help to address the shortage of teachers in the country.
Current Requirements
The current Diploma in Teacher Education minimum requirements for admission, includes a mean grade of C+ (Plus) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), a Grade C (plain) in English, a Grade D+ (plus) in Mathematics for Art based courses, a Grade C (plain) in Mathematics for Science based courses, and a Grade C+ (plus) in the two teaching subjects.
However, for applicants with special needs, such as visual and hearing impairment, the requirements are slightly different.
The mean grade required is a C (plain) at KCSE, with a Grade C- (minus) in English and a Grade D (plain) in Mathematics for Art based courses only, and a Grade C- (minus) in Mathematics for Science based courses only.
These applicants also need to have a Grade C (plain) in the two teaching subjects.
The proposed reform to lower the entry grades for teacher training colleges from C+ to C, with exceptions made for marginalised regions, is likely to make it easier for more students to access teacher training.
However, some stakeholders are concerned that it may lower the quality of teaching in Kenya.
It’s unclear how this proposal will be received and whether it will be implemented, but it’s clear that improving the quality of education in Kenya will require a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including the government, educators, and the private sector.
