Teaching Degrees in Kenya: Teachers who are pursuing higher academic qualifications have been dealt a blow following a new directive by their employer.
The new directive is aimed at discouraging teachers from studying during holidays.
The Teachers Service Commission argues that the holiday-based courses that teachers usually take end up interfering with teaching in schools.
The commission instead has asked teachers to take advantage of its study leave policy, which it says will ensure the quest for further education is granted to those who merit “in a structured and organised manner that does not infringe on the right of learners to access quality basic education”.
However, with a shortage of over 155,000 staff across the country, it is not clear how teachers will get study leave and focus on their studies at the expense of teaching.
AUDIT
The development is also a blow to both public and private universities, which have invested in the school-based programmes.
TSC however says that the programmes have been making teachers abdicate their duties and are spending valuable school time undertaking private studies.
The commission adds that the trend has adversely affected curriculum delivery and compromised quality teaching in most public schools.
It has therefore called for an audit of all teachers undertaking studies during school holidays.
“Institutional administrators are directed to compile a comprehensive list and details of teachers undertaking private studies on school-based programmes and submit to their respective sub-county directors for monitoring,” TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia said.
PROMOTION
At the same time, TSC has said primary school head teachers and principals of secondary schools and colleges must have bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively, under the new education policy.
CONSULTATION
Their deputies are also expected to have similar qualifications as school heads take a more prominent role in the performance of their institutions.
However, teachers’ unions accused TSC for issuing unilateral guidelines without proper consultations.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers has termed the circular “offensive and written in bad faith”.
“They know that we do not have enough teachers in schools and quality has been affected by its failure to staff our schools. They should not pretend that the quality is down because teachers are going to enhance their studies,” says KUPPET.
Kenya National Union of Teachers has also asked TSC to focus on its mandate and leave quality assurance to the Education ministry.
“We ask teachers to teach and conclude their syllabus on time. After that they should use their free time to further their studies,” says KNUT in a statement on the teaching degrees in Kenya.
Waah. wametuweza walai. sasa wanatakaje to be honest?
Tsc acting in bad faith
You need head teachers and principals who have degrees and masters respectively, is it only for now or even future when a few you have would be retired. Learning gives more insight to teaching pedagogies and make the teacher smarter even in delivery
Tsc is trying to get a escapecoat so that they don’t promote teachers basing on higher education attaintments
If tsc isn’t helping teachers, why shoudn’t it be broken then? They are doing anything to frustrate teachers.