On Thursday 30th September, 2021 all selected applicants for Diploma upgrading programme will report, on same day, to their respective Colleges.
Thousands of unemployed teachers will take their places next month to study a nine month Diploma upgrade course inline with Ministry of Education directive.
On Thursday 7th October, 2021 Principals of Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) will submit Returns on reporting status of students. On same day County Directors of Education (CDEs) will be submitting uncollected calling letters.
Last month in a meeting held on 15th July, 2021 at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) chaired by the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) and attended by a representative of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), KICD and the Ministry discussed the upgrade program for teachers.
During the meeting it was agreed that all P1 and ECDE teachers will undergo a nine month Diploma upgrade course to get acquainted with the new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) teaching methods.
However only unemployed P1 and ECDE teachers will take part in the program which kicks off this September.
“All teachers who are in service with Teacher Service Commission (TSC), County Governments and Private Schools will be expected to start the blended upgrade program when the school calendar normalizes having been disrupted by COVID-19 Pandemic,” said PS Julius Juan.
FEE STRUCTURE FOR KAJIADO TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGE
| Vote Head | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Total |
| Tuition, Meals & Boarding Fees | 22,000 | 22,000 | 22,000 | 66,000 |
| Admission Fee (once) | 500 | – | – | 500 |
| Student ID (once) | 500 | – | – | 500 |
| Library Fee | 1,000 | – | – | 1,000 |
| Activity Fee | 500 | 500 | 500 | 1,500 |
| Student Welfare | 500 | 500 | 500 | 1,500 |
| Assessment Book (once) | 500 | – | – | 500 |
| Total | 25,500 | 23,000 | 23,000 | 71,500
|
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has already worked on the curriculum design for the upgrade programme which will only focus on equipping the teachers with Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) skills since they have already acquired the basic teaching pedagogies.
Teachers will self finance for the training which starts next month in both public and private colleges. Push to have government finance for the programme fell into deaf ear as colleges continued to release their fee structures.
UPGRADING PROGRAM FEE STRUCTURE FOR NAKURU TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGE
| TERM | VOTE HEADS | AMOUNT (KSHS) |
| TERM 1 | ADMISSION FEE TUITION & BOARDING FEE | 2,500/= 31,000/= |
| TOTAL – TERM 1 | 33,500/= | |
| TERM II | TUITION & BOARDING FEE | 23,000/= |
| TOTAL TERM 2 | 23,000/= | |
| TERM III | TUITION & BOARDING FEE | 23,000/= |
| TOTAL TERM 3 | 23,000/= | |
| GRAND TOTAL | 79,500 |
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Bomet Executive Secretary Malel Lang’at supported the resolution of allowing the P1 teachers to upgrade to Diploma since it will solve the College’s puzzle of being shut due to lack of enough students.
Malel further urged the government to fully finance the teachers upgrade programme since some of them graduated long time ago and have families while some have been employed by some private and public schools with minimal wages which can’t support them for the upgrade programme.
“Since a number of them are employed in some private and public schools earning peanuts literally they don’t have money, while some have families they may not even have money to sponsor themselves; so we urge the government to give them some sponsorship and even include them to Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) programme,” said Malel.
According to the CBC taskforce, Pre-Service Competency Based Teacher Education (CBTE) will provide the education sector with a valuable opportunity to train teachers on the CBC approach.
For effective implementation of the curriculum, the Taskforce recommended that the Education ministry ensures all tutors in pre-service teacher education training colleges are inducted on effective interpretation and implementation of the teacher education curriculum framework and designs.
Each candidate applying for the Diploma upgrade is required to present original and copies of the documents stated below.
- A valid copy of PTE/ECDE certificate
- Certificate of registration by Teachers Service Commission (for those who graduated before 2020)
- A certified copy of Identity Card (both sides)
- A certified copy of College Leaving Certificate.
- A certified copy of Co-curricular Activity Certificate obtained (if any).
- KCSE certificate
- 2 recent passport size photographs
- A letter as evidence of adherence to positive moral values and good behavior.
The duration of the Course shall be 1890 Hours for ECDE teachers andm1500 Hours for PTE teachers. The teacher trainees shall also undertake a Teaching Practicum of 300 Hours.
Ministry said for one to be awarded the Diploma, the trainee must complete the required hours for Course Work and pass the stipulated assessment by the Kenya National Examination Council
