Courts directs ministry of education to convene in 14 days to harmonize TTC admissions

The High Court has directed the Ministry of Education to convene a meeting of all stakeholders to harmonise the regulations on admission to Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs) within 14 days.

When the parties appeared before Judge Byram Ongaya for the mention of the suit filed by the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) challenging the ministry's directive to lower entry grades for admission to TTCs, he directed that all should stakeholders be involved.

Justice Ongaya had stopped Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed from unilaterally lowering the entry grade for teachers' training colleges from C to D+.

Kuppet had listed the Ministry of Education, the Kenya National Qualifications Authority and the Attorney General as respondents.

Amina had lowered the P1 entry grade from C to D+ and that for diploma courses from C+ to C- in the case of some 17 marginalised counties.

Judge Ongaya on December 20, 2018, had directed the CS to urgently convene a meeting of all stakeholders to harmonise the regulations of admission to TTCs.

Kenya National Union of Teachers was also enjoined as third interested party.

Yesterday, Kuppet told the court that the ministry, through CS Amina, had not convened a meeting of stakeholders as had been directed by the court.

“We feel that there is deliberate ignorance of that order and we will seek leave to file contempt proceedings against Ministry for Education,” said Kuppet.

The Teachers Service Commission said it was yet to meet with the minister to convene the meeting, a position opposed by Kuppet that said the meeting was supposed to have been convened immediately after the December orders.

The lawyers for the Ministry of Education and CS Amina denied disobeying court order and requested for further 14 days to comply.

The matter will be mentioned on January 21.