Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Deputy Secretary General Hesbon Otieno has urged the government to review the entry requirements set for the new Diploma in Teacher Education certificate.
He urged the ministry and the Qualification Authority to adjust the grade to C- to avoid the current challenges.He said the high grade discourages applicants, leading to the reduction of the number of those interested in the teaching profession.
“I think C- is not a bad grade but if you put it at C plain then you still get those challenges” said Otieno.
He said C plain will create a competition with others like medical and technical Courses where one is guaranteed employment after graduating.
“What will be the option for teachers, do they go for Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) where they are not guaranteed of employment or do they go for the medical field where they will be guaranteed employment?” asked Otieno.
Applicants for a Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) certificate should have a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (KCSE) Mean Grade of C plain or its equivalent with a C Plain in English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, and also a C in any of the Humanities subject and Sciences subjects.
However, candidates with disabilities have the minimum entry grade of C (Minus) and a C- (Minus) in the cluster of subjects stated above. The Ministry of Education re-advertised the Diploma in Teacher Education and Early Childhood Development Education jobs.
Those interested in the jobs should now apply between April 6, 2021 and April 20 2021. Applicants for the Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) require a C Plain mean grade or its equivalent in KCSE. Candidates with disabilities can be admitted with a G- grade in KCSE or its equivalent.