Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) have strongly opposed a government proposal to reduce the number of students admitted into teacher training programmes, arguing that the move could have far-reaching adverse effects on the country’s education system.
The institutions say limiting admissions will not only lock out thousands of qualified students but also jeopardise efforts to meet future teacher demand. The Ministry of Education has called for a cap on teacher training admissions in response to the growing number of unemployed graduates. Despite a nationwide shortage of 98,461 teachers in public schools, over 300,000 registered teachers remain jobless in Kenya.
Kenya is home to over 35 accredited Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs), comprising 27 public and several private institutions that train thousands of primary and early childhood education teachers annually. These TTCs are distributed across various counties, with notable examples including Kagumo, Shanzu, Asumbi, Egoji, and Machakos TTCs.
They serve as critical institutions in preparing a competent teaching workforce to meet the country’s evolving educational needs, especially under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
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Each year, these TTCs collectively produce an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 graduate teachers, many of whom qualify for registration by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
However, despite this steady output, the education sector faces significant contradictions. While there is a national teacher shortage of 98,461 in public schools, there are also more than 300,000 trained and registered teachers currently unemployed. This mismatch has raised complex questions about teacher deployment, funding, and policy coherence.
The Ministry of Education’s recent proposal to reduce TTC admissions seeks to address concerns about graduate unemployment and the saturation of the teacher job market.
Yet TTC principals and education stakeholders argue that capping enrollment may be a short-sighted move, especially given the teacher deficit in classrooms and the ongoing expansion of CBE senior secondary levels.
They warn that the policy risks weakening the country’s teacher supply pipeline just when demand is expected to rise.
By Joseph Mambili
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