Why teaching profession isn't a priority for many learners

Narok Teachers Training College. [Robert Kiplagat, Standard] Teaching colleges have in the recent past witnessed a drastic decline in the number of students, data shows. An assessment of admission trends shows the colleges struggled to attract enough students between 2016 and 2020. Currently, according to a report by the Ministry of Education, certificate and diploma graduates make up the majority of teachers in primary schools. For P1, a certificate course for primary school teachers that was phased out in 2019, there were 11,671 trainess enrolled for the course in 2016. The number rose in 2017 to 12,139 trainees. However, the numbers dwindled in the last two admissions with 11,922 in 2018 and 9,465 in 2019. There was no admission of P1 in 2020 as the course was scrapped after a policy change that saw the minimum qualification to teach in any school raised from a certificate to a diploma. The Ministry of Education asked teachers who had taken certificate courses to upgrade to diploma. However, the policy change did not address the decline in enrolment in teacher colleges. For diploma, there were 807 students in 2016. In 2017, admission rose to 890, then in 2018 it dropped again to 882. A significant drop was witnessed in 2019 with 643 new first year students; the number further dropped by half to 365 in 2020. The data is contained in the Ministry of Education document titled Statistical Booklet (2020). The document was disseminated to newsrooms by the ministry's corporate communication department. However, the data does not look into the admission trend to the Bachelor of Education programmes offered in universities. The government in 2018 ordered a freeze on the intake of students to allow Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) time to advance training from certificate to diploma level. There are 32 TTCs but only three offer the new diploma in education. In their heydays, the institutions were a magnet, attracting thousands of students and ensuring a steady supply of educators. In the long run, there was an oversupply of teachers. Teachers Service Commission data shows that there are over 300,000 teachers who are trained but do not have jobs. Meanwhile, there is a deficit of teachers in schools; this occasioned by the limited employment slots given to TSC by the government. However, the reason for the decline in the number of students interested in the teaching career is deeper than unemployment. A preliminary report by the Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms (PWPER) says the change in policy to have diploma as the minimum qualification for teachers affected admission. "The teaching colleges remain under-utilised, with some having more tutors than students," the report reads. The report also faults the requirement that an applicant should have a C in two subjects they wish to teach. The report proposes a review of the entry requirement; to get rid of the subject requirement. The reforms team also argues that the entry mark disadvantages those from marginalised regions as many struggle to make the mark. It proposes that a new entry mark be set for such applicants to encourage admissions. Another proposal is that candidates with disabilities will be required to have a minimum C- and a C- in English, Kiswahili, Mathematics and any of the humanities and sciences subjects. The reforms are meant to attract graduate tutors who are better equipped to deliver on the new curriculum. The presidential working party observed that Kenya is not attracting the best students to the teaching profession. It also observed that institutions are struggling with inadequate facilities and financial support. "The institutions face challenges including inadequate facilities, posting of trainers who are not specifically trained for these institutions and lack of access to loans," the report reads. To correct this, the government this year reformed the admission process for teaching colleges. The admission process has now been centralised and is done by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS). The pioneer lot will join colleges this year. The students will also have the chance to apply for financial support from the Higher Education Loans Board like their counterparts in universities. Previously, students applied to individual teaching colleges for admission. The reforms teams also notes that the pre-service teacher education lacks a framework; thus, teacher education is not standardised. "The colleges need teacher education standards to ensure that the quality of teachers meets the 21st century demands and becomes globally competitive," it reads Other changes will include a longer teaching practice of two school terms. Currently it is one term. To train as a teacher, one can take one of the four courses recognised by the State. The four are: Diploma in Early Childhood Development Education for pre-primary school teachers (nursery education), a Diploma in Primary Teacher Education for primary school teachers. The other is a Diploma in Teacher Education course for secondary school teachers and a Bachelor of Education course for secondary school teachers offered in universities.

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