TSC wrong on entry grade to teachers training colleges

A showdown is looming between Kenya National Qualification  Authority (KNQA) and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over the minimum entry grade to Teachers Training Colleges. KNQA kicked off the storm by recommending a review of entry grade from C to D+. In a swift rejoinder, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia has warned those intending to join the colleges with KNQA’S revised grades that they risk being locked out of employment. This push and pull between KNQA and TSC is uncalled for. I will side with KNQA for two reasons. First, the grim picture painted by KCSE performance in the last three years is public knowledge. The predicament facing the teacher colleges is shared by many other institutions of learning.

Universities too, are grappling with the challenge of dwindling numbers of students caused by a sharp decline in number of students who qualified. An analysis of the three years shows that while there was a reduction of students scoring between A and C-, the same period witnessed a sharp increase in those who scored D+ and below. In 2015, 63,977 candidates scored a C plain the requisite grade for admission to TTC. It went down to 44,792 in 2016 before plummeting further to 40,474 in 2017. During the same period, there was a sharp increase in candidates who scored D+ and below. In 2015, 209,715 candidates scored D+ and below, compared to 376,415 in the following year, the figure increased with a whopping 438,447 contending with D+ and below. Yet in the face of these worrying statistics, Macharia still holds that TSC won’t allow those with D+ to become teachers.

According to the TSC boss, 438,447 candidates out of 611,979 representing 71 per cent who scored D+ and below should keep off certificate courses. If other middle level colleges follow the precedent set by TSC of not admitting D students, the dreams of the 814,855 young men and women who scored D+ and below in 2016 and 2017 will crumble. Secondly, as Prof Bonaventure Kerre of KNQA put it, a teacher should be a facilitator of the learning process. We should not conceive education as an exercise where the teacher off loads his/her knowledge to the students. Macharia and those stuck in past must quickly adapt to the changing practice of teaching. What TSC needs to know is that this transfer function has been supplanted in importance and therefore should be quickly replaced by the provoking of learner’s thoughts through debate and interaction.  Collins Musanga, Kakamega

How we can achieve unity, coexistence

One of the sustainable development goals lies in guaranteed  peaceful co-existence amongst people and nations. Whenever peace vacates, development takes a back seat, service delivery fails, besides destruction of property and loss of lives. SDG number 16 advocates peaceful co-existence, social inclusivity, justice for all and effective, accountable and inclusive institutional framework at all levels. Over the years, Kenya has been a model to regional peace attracting accolades and respect globally. Unfortunately, within our boundaries, we are never at peace nor at war. Our cohesiveness is one of a civil nature. It’s one mobilised through disarmament, political manipulation and tyranny. This peace is a creation of organisational, communal and political civil campaigns for social justice. The civility in our interactions, is one that exposes us to political, economic and social vulnerability to conflicts.

Peace is the imprint of harmony and absence of hostility. Where peace isn’t adequately cultivated and nurtured amongst citizens, what exists is forced peace. Forced peace is what becomes necessary periodically depending on circumstances. In our set up, as long as political temperatures are low, there is co-existence between tribes and communities. Such kind of peace is one of convenience and unsustainable. What Kenya requires is positive peace. One that citizenry have faith in institutions and constitutionalism.

 A case in point is Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. To escape political, class or communally orchestrated violence, there is need to exercise inbuilt peace that flows through societal social fabric. This can be achieved through initiating national dialogue on peace-building.

Through this, we should aim at consolidating the liberal peace system by first addressing the negative peace; focus on social reconciliation; adherence to the rule of law, fight impunity and recognise local and contextual peace traditions. By lowering the stakes of our politics as compared to social and economic wellbeing, then and only then will we succeed in sanitising our thought lines and provide societal hygiene.   Kiragu Kariuki.