By Education News Team
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has proposed to the Ministry of Education Science and Technology to lengthen Teaching Practice (TP) period, and the marks awarded for it raised.
The curriculum developers have also proposed to the Ministry of Education to provide frequent In-service programmes for teachers in the Public Service after every three years.
In the proposals which have also been forwarded to the Departmental Committee on Education and Research, it is suggested that KICD should include the 21st century skills, and competences like communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and digital literacy in Teacher Education curriculum.
“Continuous assessment tests should be conducted in a variety of methods, and should contribute to the student’s final grade; more so, KICD should include psychometrics skills in curriculum, which will enhance skills in setting exams and minimize the tendency of buying exams among teachers.
“Teachers should be taught the importance of talents, ways of identification and how to nurture them among the learners, and more importantly, the Ministry of Education should provide adequate resources to all Teacher Training Colleges,” states the document.
KICD which is seeking the backing of Departmental Committee on Education and Research for the approval of the proposals, further suggests that there is need for the National Government to increase the grants given to Technical Training Institutes (TTIs) so as to enable them procure the necessary equipment for teaching and learning.
“The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) needs to increase flexibility in assessment by allowing multiple attempts in exams, and choice of when to be assessed, while expanding examination and testing methods to go beyond the written test for the purposes of covering more higher-order competencies.
“The Council needs to adopt assessment modes which strike a meaningful balance between formative and summative assessment,” states the document seen by Education News.
The curriculum developer further proposes that trainers need training on assessment to enable them assess the competence-based curriculum effectively. “This should be organized by Teachers Service Commission, KNEC and KICD.
“Talent academies need to be established by the Ministry of Education Science and Technology in conjunction with the National Government in every TTI so as to nurture talents of their trainees,” states KICD.
