The careers of 1,450 teacher trainees who had joined college and completed their first semester are now in limbo after the Education ministry declared them ineligible for the training.
The trainees were part of the 3,000, who had been admitted to Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs) last year after immediate former Education Cabinet secretary Amina Mohamed lowered the entry grade to accommodate students from disadvantaged regions.
The students’ fate was sealed at a huge cost—trauma and fees gone down the drain after the release of the circular by Education Prinipal Secretary Belio Kipsanga.
Each of the affected students had already paid at least Sh80,000, translating to a total of Sh116 million collectively, which will not be refunded by the colleges.
Kipsang said the ministry had withdrawn Legal Notice No. 118 of 2018 which lowered the minimum entry requirement from C+ (plus) to C- (minus) for diploma courses and C (plain) to D plain for certificate courses.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) protested the lowering of entry grades, saying Amina was infringing on the mandate of the commission leading to a protracted tussle that ended in court.
Last month, the TSC, Education CS, Kenya National Qualifications Authority and Attorney-General agreed to quash the order in a consent signed before Justice Weldon Korir.
Kipsang has since directed trainees who wish to join technical training institutes to do so. He further directed Regional Directors of Education (RDEs) to ensure TTCs adhere to initial entry grades.
In a circular, the PS directed the RDE’s to liaise with TTC principals for placement of affected students who may wish to transfer to technical training institutions.
“You are directed to bring to the attention of all principals of TTCs, both private and public that the entry grades for persons entering TTCs shall remain as prescribed in the Legal Notice No. 50 of 2016,” said Kipsang.
“The Ministry of Education’s letter Ref: MoE.HQS.3/12 dated October 15, 2018 addressed to the Secretary, Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services directing the lowering of grades for persons entering TTC is hereby withdrawn,” he added.
National Assembly Leader of Majority Leader Aden Duale had slammed the ministry’s move to reject the trainees, terming it unacceptable.
“I have spoken with President Uhuru Kenyatta and we will meet him today to find a solution because Northeastern does not have teachers. We want teachers from local communities to to teach our children,” said Duale.
“Now that you are denying those teachers an opportunity to learn and TSC is not giving us teachers, who will teach our children? he posed.