Teachers with a Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) would be given preference in Teachers Service Commission (TSC) recruitment interviews.

Around 229,000 teachers are now enrolled in one of the country’s accredited Teacher Training Colleges (TTC).

Dr. Nancy Macharia, the Commission’s CEO, said she is pleased that the KCSE results will be released soon and will aid in the implementation of the new curriculum.

A number of Commission officials have hailed P1 teachers who are upgrading their skills and are part of the 229,000 set to graduate with the new Diploma.

Mr. David Nganyi, the TSC Coast Regional Director in charge of Quality Assurance and Standards, informed the trainee teachers a week ago that they would have firsthand experience after they graduated.

Nganyi claimed there is no way TSC could employ the unskilled when there are skilled workers out there during the Kenya Teachers Colleges Sports Association (KTCA) Coast Region Athletics Championship held at Shanzu TTC.

“We are eargerly waiting for you, as soon as you graduate we will directly absorb you so long as you have passed all the units,” said Nganyi.

During the end of last year, TSC Director for Quality Assurance and Standards, Dr. Reuben Nthamburi also hinted on giving first priority to teachers with CBC skills.

Nthamburi urged those teacher who have not enrolled for the upgrade programme to do so before its too late.

A taskforce had recommended both P1 and ECDE teachers to undergo the mandatory training to be at par with the demand of the new curriculum. The training started in October last year.

The trainees will be issued with a Diploma certificate at the end of the training.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) asked college Principals to register Diploma upgrading students for the national assessments by 13th May 2022.

Registration Fees for DPTE Upgrade Programme Assessments

The professional learning areas in the CBTEC have been updated to include new content in order to connect them with competency-based curricula.

Because the CBTEC expects a primary school teacher to be well-versed in all of the courses taught in primary schools, upgrading PTE teacher trainees will be exempted from the subjects in which they had specialized and will only study those subjects that they did not take in the certificate course.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) offered the following upgrade program:

1.  Professional Learning Areas – 414 hours

2.  Content and Pedagogy – 786 hours

3.  Practicum – 300 hours

Total – 1,500 hours

The upgrading programme shall take 4 terms for DPTE. This period will not be extended despite a suggestion by TTC Principals to extend it by six more months.

Graduates for the Upgrading Programme shall be expected to teach all the subjects offered in the area of training.

The next intake will be in September 2022 for P1 teachers who want to upgrade to the new Diploma.

The taskforce said blended learning and distance learning will be considered in due course.

CALENDAR FOR DIPLOMA UPGRADING STUDENTS

For P1 teachers who want to upgrade to Diploma Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) they must meet the following requirements;   

1.    The applicant must possess a valid PTE Certificate

2.    The applicant must be registered by the Teachers Service Commission.

3.     The duration of the course shall be 1500 Hours.

4.      The Course shall be fully residential.

5.      The trainee shall take all courses specified in the upgrading programme of Diploma in Primary Teacher Education

6.      The trainees shall undertake a Teaching Practicum of 300 Hours.

7.      To be awarded the Diploma, the trainee must complete the required hours for Course Work and the stipulated assessment by the Kenya National Examination Council.

8. Applicants shall be required to produce evidence of adherence to positive morals and good behavior.