Govt to Recruit 1,300 Tutors
The government of Kenya is launching a strategy to make middle-level technical education more attractive, with staffing and remuneration being prioritized in a broader plan to ensure institutions offer quality education.
Speaking at the Kenya School of TVET, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu announced the promotion of 3,269 principals in technical training institutions to higher job groups.
The move will help tackle challenges faced by the institutions, which include the shortage of tutors. The government plans to recruit 1,300 tutors to mitigate the shortfall and will establish a data bank to aid recruitment and replacement of tutors.
Machogu urged institutions to embrace innovation, such as utilizing existing equipment more effectively, and said some technical training institutions had machines that were not being used.
The government also aims to expand facilities by providing funding to constituencies to establish technical institutions.
Principals from national polytechnics, institutes of technology, technical training institutes and technical and vocational colleges attended the meeting, which was held in Gigiri.
Machogu revealed that more than 3,000 students who qualified for university opted to take courses at technical college in the 2021 KCSE results.
The principals have requested a governing council to oversee operations in the middle-level colleges to streamline decision-making processes. The government is also expected to improve the terms of service for tutors as the economy improves.
There is increasing momentum for technical education worldwide, and many countries have expanded facilities and resources in this area. Kenya recognizes that it must do the same to meet the increasing demand for technical training.
While capitation for technical institutions is currently Sh12,000 per student per year, the government is aware that more resources are required to keep learners in colleges and the principals want it raised to Sh30,000 per year.
Machogu acknowledged that the government faces challenges in providing adequate funding and resources for institutions of higher learning, but will provide Sh312 million to constituencies to establish technical institutions.
The transfer of technical education from the Teachers Service Commission to the Public Service Commission has caused disquiet among tutors, who have called for the establishment of an agency to manage the institutions centrally.
Machogu urged technical colleges to develop courses that will enable their learners to compete globally and gain competency, which will help them to become more employable both locally and internationally.
Govt to Recruit 1,300 Tutors
