Teacher Training Crucial To Achieving Quality Education
The Ministry of Education faced challenges when transitioning to a new curriculum because they needed to train existing teachers on how to learn the new teaching methods.
On the other hand, they devised a strategy to train new teachers solely on how to implement competency-based learning methods.
Quality education, on the other hand, is dependent on the service providers who impart knowledge and competence to students in schools, which meant that teachers needed to be trained further to be able to deliver.
As part of the educational reforms to improve the quality of education in Kenya, the Ministry of Education phased out the training of P1 teachers in all teacher training colleges across the country in 2019 and raised the entry grade to ‘C’ in colleges.
According to David Ng’etich, a teacher trainer at Tambach Teachers Training College in Elgeyo Marakwet County, teachers are key players in providing quality and competent learning in Kenyan schools.
Ng’etich, who is also the Dean of Curriculum Development at the college, says that the college is currently training teachers through Diploma programs, which will result in more competent teachers being produced.
Teachers are now trained at the Diploma level in Primary Teacher Education, which is offered in twelve colleges and now takes three years rather than the two years previously offered under the P1.
He stated that the institution has already begun training teachers who will be able to guide students under the CBC.
“One of the core competencies in CBC is creativity and imagination and in the upgrade nine professional courses have been introduced that engage teachers to bring out creativity and facilitating techniques,” Ng’etich said.
The Dean believes that teachers should be adequately trained, particularly under the new curriculum, to bring out the necessary competence and creativity.
“Initially, trained teachers used to go for teaching practice for a period of two weeks compared to the current curriculum that requires them to go for practicum for three terms in the entire course with one term per year,” he said.
He went on to say that the quality of education provided in training institutions will reflect on the type of teachers from the colleges, as well as the pupils and students.
Daniel Kiptoo, a Tambach Teachers College student who is currently upgrading to the new diploma program, claims that the content is being administered in groups rather than lectures, which he claims is better equipping them as teachers.
Kiptoo, who has previously taught in both public and private schools, anticipates the challenge of being unable to deliver ICT-based learning because some rural schools lack electricity and network connectivity.
Violet Kirui, a teacher enrolled in the same college’s upgrade program, believes that if teachers are better equipped with the necessary skills, they will produce higher-quality students in the near future.
The teacher, on the other hand, brought up an important point about the government’s efforts to put in place reliable structures that will allow teachers to deliver more on their roles as facilitators in the realization of quality education.
“There is a challenge on the teacher learners’ ratio that is a factor where delivery is concerned. The ratio needs to be average for the teacher to understand the needs of each pupil,” she said.
Teacher Training Crucial To Achieving Quality Education
While noting that teachers should receive adequate training, Nge’tich stated that when assessing teachers, trainers use the methods used to assess learners to determine whether the trainees are ready to enter the field.
The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) will launch the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) Programme in October 2021, which will require teachers to renew their professional certificates every five (5) years.
According to a credible source within the Teachers Service Commission, the implementation of Teacher Professional Development (TPD) will help teachers deliver more as professionals because it fosters professionalism and keeps them informed on emerging trends in the sector.
According to the source, a trained teacher from a college or university is not well versed in dealing with issues as a professional, hence the introduction of the TPD, which prepares them to deal with real issues in the line of duty.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) went into effect in all of its Member States in January 2016.
Quality education was stated as Sustainable Goal number four among the 17 SDGs, which meant that member states should adopt the goal by improving the quality of education offered in each country.
This came into effect in Kenya following the government’s operationalization of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) in 2017, which was expected to align with the SDGs on inclusive, equitable, and quality education.
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Viola Kipchumba, a parent whose children are enrolled in the new curriculum, stated that she expects the teachers who are educating her children to be competent enough to perform their duties.
She adds that while the new curriculum is costly to run as a parent, she sees it as a better way of imparting competence to learners as they progress through the curriculum.
Teacher Training Crucial To Achieving Quality Education
