The Teacher Training colleges are set to experience a rise in student enrolment after the government lifted the subject requirement that was locking out many potential students.
While speaking in Embu County over the weekend, education cabinet secretary Ezekiel Machogu said students who join the colleges will be required to have a mean grade of C [Plain] in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.
No subject cluster is required.
The CS, who launched the application for placement to diploma teacher training courses at Kangaru School, said there were 13,439 slots in the Teacher Training Colleges.
He said the exercise will be undertaken by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service [KUCCPS].
”There has been a cluster requirement for subjects for those who want to take teaching courses despite the C Plain requirement, but the presidential working party on education has recommended doing away with the subject cluster requirement,” Machogu said.
He further encouraged other students to join the Technical and Vocational Institutes to acquire skills saying they were marketable.
KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Dr. Agnes Wahome said the portal will remain open until July 28 urging those interested to take up the chance and apply.
”This opportunity is for the qualified KCSE certificate holders including non-Kenyan citizens who sat for the exam in 2022 or earlier, ‘she said.
Manyatta Member of Parliament John Mukunji who hosted the CS lauded the move by the Ministry of Education to strike out the subject requirement saying many teacher colleges were on the verge of closing due to few students.
The MP had earlier urged the government to consider the move after it emerged that Kigari Teachers College which is in his constituency had less than 100 students.
”Following my numerous calls to the Ministry of Education to revise the minimum KCSE grade to help revive some of our teachers’ training colleges, the grades have been reviewed to a C(plain) without a cluster combination.
We welcome the move as it will help increase the intake in our institutions and help improve the economy around us.
We will continue knocking on government offices doors as we work on improving the education sector in Manyatta through the Masomo Bila Stress program, ‘he said.
By Musioka Kaleti
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