KICD urged to make Diploma teacher education curriculum designs and textbooks easily accessible

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is facing renewed questions over the accessibility of curriculum designs, approved textbooks and instructional resources required by tutors and student teachers in diploma teacher training colleges.

The concern is that diploma teacher trainees and their tutors are having difficulty identifying and obtaining appropriate textbooks, reference materials and curriculum designs aligned with their programmes. Some curriculum resources are available online, but questions remain about the accessibility of complete documents, particularly those that are difficult to download, save or print.

The situation raises an important question about the preparedness of teacher training institutions to implement competency-based teacher education when the resources needed to guide instruction are not readily accessible.

Of particular concern is the confusion surrounding the 2017 curriculum designs and the availability of the relevant documents in downloadable formats. There is a need to distinguish between the 2017 Basic Education Curriculum Framework, the school curriculum designs developed under the competency-based curriculum and the curriculum designs prescribed for diploma teacher education programmes. These documents serve different purposes, and tutors and trainees need clear guidance on which versions apply to their learning areas.

The introduction of competency-based education was intended to transform teaching and learning by moving away from excessive dependence on content memorisation towards the development of practical skills, knowledge, values and competencies. Teacher preparation must therefore be supported by appropriate curriculum designs, professional learning materials, assessment guidelines and relevant reference books.

Tutors cannot be expected to deliver effective instruction when they have to spend valuable academic time searching for suitable materials or determining whether available textbooks correspond to the prescribed curriculum. The challenge also affects student teachers, who need reliable academic resources for assignments, research, lesson preparation, microteaching, teaching practice and examinations.

KICD should urgently establish a comprehensive digital repository containing all approved curriculum designs for diploma teacher education programmes. Every document should be available in a complete, clearly labelled and downloadable PDF format, so that tutors and trainees can access, save, print and use the materials for legitimate academic purposes without unnecessary restrictions.

The repository should cover the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education, the Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education and other relevant teacher education programmes. It should also include all professional learning area designs, including curriculum studies, child development and psychology, educational assessment, inclusive education, educational resources, ICT integration, microteaching, research skills and the philosophical and sociological foundations of education. The relevant 2017 curriculum framework and design documents should also be made accessible, with clear explanations of their applicability and current status.

Beyond curriculum designs, KICD and the Ministry of Education should address the difficulty of identifying appropriate textbooks and reference materials. Teacher trainees need books that correspond to the learning outcomes, competencies and professional requirements of their programmes. General education textbooks may provide useful background but cannot automatically substitute for materials aligned with diploma teacher education.

KICD should therefore provide an updated and comprehensive directory of approved and recommended textbooks, indicating the relevant programme, learning area, edition and curriculum alignment, accessible to college libraries, tutors, student teachers and other stakeholders. Where possible, it should also provide downloadable teaching guides, supplementary instructional resources and assessment materials.

Rather than requiring tutors and trainees to navigate different platforms in search of essential documents, KICD should establish one central digital library for teacher education resources, organised by programme, year of study, professional learning area and curriculum version. It should work on smartphones, tablets and computers, because many trainees depend on mobile devices, and documents should be downloadable for users with limited connectivity so that trainees can study offline. Where particular materials cannot legally be distributed freely, KICD should explain the restrictions and provide an accessible alternative.

Kenya cannot expect diploma teacher trainees to become competent practitioners of competency-based education while making it difficult for them to obtain the materials required for training.

Teacher education is the foundation on which the quality of basic education rests, and the knowledge and instructional approaches acquired in teacher training colleges eventually influence teaching in classrooms. If tutors struggle to obtain the correct curriculum designs and student teachers cannot access appropriate reference books, the consequences may extend to lesson preparation, classroom delivery, assessment and the overall quality of teacher preparation.

Curriculum reform is not merely about introducing new programmes or changing the minimum academic qualifications for teachers. It must also ensure that the institutions implementing those reforms have the necessary instructional resources. KICD should commit to ensuring that no approved curriculum design is unnecessarily inaccessible to the people expected to implement it.

The principle should be straightforward: all approved diploma teacher education curriculum designs and relevant learning resources should be clearly identified, readily accessible and downloadable.