- KUCCPS CEO Dr. Agnes Mercy Wahome says higher teacher salaries should be matched by higher entry standards into the profession.
- She argues that Kenya should recruit academically strong candidates if it expects teachers to be paid competitively like those in Singapore.
- Dr. Wahome also called for greater investment in schools and training institutions to improve equity in education.
Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Agnes Mercy Wahome has called for higher entry qualifications into the teaching profession, arguing that improved standards would justify better salaries and strengthen the quality of education.
Speaking in an interview on teacher recruitment and remuneration, Dr. Wahome said that if Kenya expects teachers to be paid competitively like their counterparts in Singapore, it must also adopt similarly high entry requirements for aspiring teachers.
“If you want teachers to be paid well and highly motivated like those in Singapore, we also want the minimum entry requirements for teaching to be as high as those in Singapore,” she said.
The KUCCPS CEO questioned whether candidates with low academic grades could consistently produce top-performing learners.
“How do you expect a person who scored a C- to produce an A student?” she posed, emphasising that teachers should possess strong academic credentials because they are responsible for shaping the country’s future workforce.
Previous reforms
Dr. Wahome noted that the government had previously attempted to raise the minimum entry grade for admission into secondary Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) from a C+ to a B-.
However, the proposal faced widespread opposition, prompting the government to review the policy, including dropping the requirement for arts teacher trainees to have passed Mathematics.
She maintained that teacher training institutions should recruit highly qualified candidates capable of delivering quality education.
“We want teachers who can deliver and who can earn better. We want teachers who are highly qualified, and the criteria for admission should almost get to that of a doctor,” she said.
On educational equity, Dr. Wahome said the government should continue investing in schools in marginalised regions to enable them to attain standards comparable to established national schools such as Alliance High School.
She said this would give learners from all parts of the country a fair opportunity to compete in national examinations.
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The KUCCPS CEO also highlighted government efforts to reduce regional disparities in access to tertiary education by expanding institutions such as the Kenya Medical Training College and teacher training colleges across the country.
According to Dr. Wahome, the expansion has enabled many students to pursue professional training closer to home instead of competing for limited opportunities in Nairobi and other major urban centres.
By Obegi Malack
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