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Coast teachers want Teacher Professional Development plan review

Monday, October 4th, 2021 00:00 | By

Teachers in Coast region have poked holes into the controversial Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme.

At the same time, they petitioned their employer, Teachers Service Commission (TSC),  to relook at the programme before it is rolled out.

They especially questioned why subject teachers were footing the cost of the training at a time when the cost of living has skyrocketed.

“We were not consulted before the roll out of the programme. When you tell your employee to go for further training, you must be prepared to foot the cost. So we are totally against this idea,” said Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Kilifi branch chair, Morris Chiguba.

Last week, TSC unveiled (TPD)  a new model that will see  public school teachers renew their professional certificates after every five years.

Chief Executive Nancy Macharia said the move is aimed at improving the professional standards of Kenyan teachers as well as keeping them abreast with emerging trends in the education sector.

Chiguba wondered  why the programme is being offered in specific universities instead of availing it in all institutions  of higher learning countrywide.

“Kenya has many universities and colleges. Why is the programme restricted to just three universities? This shows there is something sinister in the whole thing,” he said.

Mombasa teachers said they are still in the dark about the refresher training plan and urged TSC to avail the training programme to enable them prepare adequately.

Short holiday breaks 

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KSSHA) Mombasa branch chairperson Peter Watoro said teachers in the region were yet to receive a circular about the programme.

“Once the employer declares, there is nothing you can do even though there are issues that are debatable.

But I believe there will be a forum where all the sticky issues would be ironed out,” Watoro said: “As it stands, there is no formal communication on when we are supposed to begin the training.”

Similar concerns were also raised by private schools  heads who said the announcement comes at a time when the holiday breaks are too short saying that teachers might find it difficult to undertake in-person training.

“According to what I saw, some of the universities that have been selected to conduct the training are doing both face to face and online learning.

Therefore, face to face learning is a challenge because the holidays are short.

We will soon sit down  with all the concerned parties and see how to advise our teachers on what to do,” said Kenya Private School Association (KEPSA) Mombasa branch treasurer Elisha Mwango. 

The KEPSA official said universities, which are supposed to facilitate learning, are yet to develop the content for the training.

Alternative Providers of Basic Education and Training (APBET) schools secretary General, Juma Athman  faulted the timing of the training saying the training ought to have come before introduction of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). 

Teachers in Coast region have poked holes into the controversial Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme.

At the same time, they petitioned their employer, Teachers Service Commission (TSC),  to relook at the programme before it is rolled out.

They especially questioned why subject teachers were footing the cost of the training at a time when the cost of living has skyrocketed.

“We were not consulted before the roll out of the programme. When you tell your employee to go for further training, you must be prepared to foot the cost. So we are totally against this idea,” said Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Kilifi branch chair, Morris Chiguba.

Last week, TSC unveiled (TPD)  a new model that will see  public school teachers renew their professional certificates after every five years.

Chief Executive Nancy Macharia said the move is aimed at improving the professional standards of Kenyan teachers as well as keeping them abreast with emerging trends in the education sector.

Chiguba wondered  why the programme is being offered in specific universities instead of availing it in all institutions  of higher learning countrywide.

“Kenya has many universities and colleges. Why is the programme restricted to just three universities? This shows there is something sinister in the whole thing,” he said.

Mombasa teachers said they are still in the dark about the refresher training plan and urged TSC to avail the training programme to enable them prepare adequately.

Short holiday breaks 

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KSSHA) Mombasa branch chairperson Peter Watoro said teachers in the region were yet to receive a circular about the programme.

“Once the employer declares, there is nothing you can do even though there are issues that are debatable.

But I believe there will be a forum where all the sticky issues would be ironed out,” Watoro said: “As it stands, there is no formal communication on when we are supposed to begin the training.”

Similar concerns were also raised by private schools  heads who said the announcement comes at a time when the holiday breaks are too short saying that teachers might find it difficult to undertake in-person training.

“According to what I saw, some of the universities that have been selected to conduct the training are doing both face to face and online learning.

Therefore, face to face learning is a challenge because the holidays are short.

We will soon sit down  with all the concerned parties and see how to advise our teachers on what to do,” said Kenya Private School Association (KEPSA) Mombasa branch treasurer Elisha Mwango. 

The KEPSA official said universities, which are supposed to facilitate learning, are yet to develop the content for the training.

Alternative Providers of Basic Education and Training (APBET) schools secretary General, Juma Athman  faulted the timing of the training saying the training ought to have come before introduction of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). 

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