By Sam Otieno

Teachers who are certificate holders will no longer teach in primary schools following a move to phase out P1 teacher training colleges.

Instead, all P1 teacher-training colleges will be upgraded to diploma training institutions and the minimum qualification for primary school teachers raised to diploma.

Education PS Karega Mutahi said the move would strengthen performance of pupils at the lower level of education.

Currently, there are about 4, 500 P1 "A" level teachers, who will be phased out gradually in line with Vision 2030 economic strategy as well as the ministry’s Sessional paper no 1 of 2005.

"There is need to have a strengthened capacity of teachers handling primary school level which constitutes a critical foundation for further education and training," said Prof Karega.

The move is a blow to P1 teachers who are already suffering a setback on university admission after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) said they should not be allowed direct admission to universities for Bachelors of Education degree studies.

TSC had indicated that minimum entry requirements for all degree programmes in public and private universities is C+ and candidates meant to meet specific minimum grades in subjects of specialisation.

Their employer further advised public and private universities that most of the P1 teachers do not meet the minimum entry requirements.

Yesterday, Karega said the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) has been requested to develop a curriculum for primary diploma education.

Curiculum Review

"KIE will continue to review teacher education curriculum as need arises, to ensure that the teacher trained are of high calibre," said Karega.

In a speech read on his behalf by Education Secretary George Godia, Karega said the ministry would expand the 18 primary teachers training colleges to diploma level.

Prof Godia said teachers with certificate qualification should seek further education. He, however, said higher qualification is not an automatic ticket to shifting of teaching responsibility from primary to secondary schools.

"What TSC will do is to upgrade your scheme of service from a diploma teacher to that of a graduate teacher even if you are teaching in a nursery school," said Godia.

"To promote quality, the ministry will ensure that the Diploma curriculum for primary teacher education remains relevant," said Karega.

Meanwhile, the number of candidates to be admitted into the 18 public teachers’ training colleges this year has dropped by 1, 219 after Narok and Bondo were upgraded to university constituents colleges.

This year, 7, 285 candidates, 3, 680 males and 3, 605 females, will be admitted.The number has dropped from last year’s figure of 8, 504.