Thousands of teacher trainees across the country face delayed graduation after new examination results revealed that more than a third of candidates in the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education programme failed to meet the requirements for graduation.
Data from 22 teacher training colleges show that 5,348 out of 13,680 candidates were referred, while 8,332 qualified for graduation, raising concerns about academic performance and the preparedness of future primary school teachers.
The results have exposed significant disparities among institutions, with some colleges recording high numbers of candidates who must undertake additional examinations or meet outstanding course requirements before graduating.
Colleges record high numbers of referrals
Mosoriot Teachers Training College in Nandi County recorded the highest number of referrals, with 927 of its 944 candidates failing to qualify for graduation at this stage. Only 17 candidates met the requirements.
Kaimosi Teachers Training College recorded 442 referrals out of 665 candidates, while St Mark's Kigari Teachers Training College in Embu had 541 candidates referred from a total of 860.
Other institutions with substantial numbers of referred candidates included Asumbi Teachers Training College, which recorded 422 referrals out of 750 candidates, and Thogoto Teachers Training College, where 367 of the 755 candidates were referred.
Borabu Teachers Training College had 341 referrals out of 627 candidates, while Kericho Teachers Training College recorded 300 out of 716. Kitui Teachers Training College had 263 referrals, while Eregi recorded 256.
Moi and Garissa colleges record strong results
However, the results also showed that some colleges performed strongly, with the majority of their candidates meeting the graduation requirements.
Moi Teachers Training College recorded one of the highest success rates, with 499 of its 513 candidates qualifying for graduation, representing 97.3 per cent. Only 14 candidates were referred.
Garissa Teachers Training College followed, with 588 of its 656 candidates qualifying, translating to a graduation rate of 89.6 per cent. Kagumo Teachers Training College recorded 350 successful candidates out of 407, representing 86 per cent.
Migori Teachers Training College had 441 candidates qualify out of 595, giving it a graduation rate of 74.1 per cent.
Referrals raise questions over teacher training
A referral does not necessarily mean permanent failure or expulsion from training. Affected candidates may be required to retake examinations, repeat particular units or fulfil other outstanding requirements before qualifying for graduation.
The performance concerns come as Kenya continues to transition from the traditional Primary Teacher Education certificate programme, commonly known as P1, to diploma-level training as the minimum qualification for entry into primary school teaching.
The findings raise questions about the factors contributing to the contrasting results across colleges and the support available to trainees struggling to meet the requirements of the new programme.
The outcome is also significant for candidates hoping to enter the teaching profession, as those who have not met the graduation requirements may have to complete the outstanding assessments before proceeding to the next stage of their careers.
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