By Kamundia Muriithi
Four Educationists have called on teachers colleges to interrogate the possible causes of student’s massive referrals in national exams in the last two years.
Speaking during St Augustine’s Teachers Training College-Ishiara 26th graduation, they said they were concerned after candidates got mass referrals in some subjects in colleges across the country.
They said it was worrying that some of the teacher trainees referred in year 2016 were still referred in 2017 exams.
The stakeholders who included Catholic Diocese of Embu Bishop Rev Paul Kariuki, Embu County Education Board chairman Dr. James Kanya, St Augustine Teachers College Principal Fr Isaiah Njiru and University of Embu Deputy Vice Chancellor (Planning, Administration and Finance) Prof Eucharia Kenya said the referrals showed something was not right and needed to be addressed.
Dr. Kanya called on the institutions affected to evaluate their approaches in curriculum development and avail adequate resources such as books to students.
Fr Njiru said his college had over 70 per cent pass rate and they had put collective measures to ensure all their candidates pass the exams without being referred in some subjects.
“Students have a big role to play in their academic and exam success. We expect them to pass exams since they will graduate to teach children who are also expected to excel in their assessments”, he said.
He also encouraged teachers to pursue guidance and counselling courses so that they are well prepared to assist students faced with issues such as peer pressure and family rows.
Rev Kariuki said passing or failure in examination should not be attributed only to the student since the academic staff also plays a big role in it.
Prof Kenya who was the chief guest urged teachers to inculcate human values and ethics in the training of teachers by not only putting emphasis on passing examinations but also on sound moral formation.
According to a report by Teachers Service Commission, out of the 12,438 candidates who sat last year’s teachers training college exit examinations administered by the Kenya National Examinations Council, 5,739 failed and will have to re-sit the tests.
Dr Kanya further called on the government to sponsor students in both public and private teacher training colleges as was the case with university education.
He observed that student’s enrolment in public teachers colleges was on a decline whereas private institutions were coming up and had students, a pointer that students preferred them.
