Expand varsities offering teacher refresher courses – MPs

The courses are offered by KU, MKU, Riara and Kenya Education Management Institute.

In Summary
  • National Assembly Education Committee chair Julius Melly said this will increase access to the courses.
  • This is even as the government fails to allocate Sh2.2 billion required to cushion teachers from paying Sh6,000 per year for the refresher courses.
Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia during The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education and research during a meeting with Teachers Service Commission to discuss budget policy statement on February, 28 2023.
Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia during The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education and research during a meeting with Teachers Service Commission to discuss budget policy statement on February, 28 2023.
Image: KEITH MUSEKE

Lawmakers now want the teachers employer to increase access to Teacher Professional Development courses.

National Assembly Education Committee chair Julius Melly said this will increase access to the courses.

This is even as the government fails to allocate Sh2.2 billion required to cushion teachers from paying Sh6,000 per year for the refresher courses.

"There's a public outcry about TPD, are you able to make it accessible to all universities and even extend it to the colleges?"Melly posed.

Kenyatta University, Mount Kenya University, Riara and Kenya Education Management Institute are responsible for the training.

Marakwet West MP Timothy Torotich had asked the Commission to choose between funding promotion and the refresher courses.

"If given a choice by this committee which one will you prioritise between funding the two?" Torotich asked.

TSC CEC Nancy Macharia said the universities were selected in a competitive process.

She explained that when TSC advertised the process, some institutions shunned the application process.

"We would have wished all universities to be on board but some did not have requirements, going forward we will have them on board," she said.

TSC developed one TPD module; the remaining will be achieved in the second half of the year.

The Commission targeted to train 5,000 teachers, however, 20,000 more enrolled on the programme.

TPD seeks to help teachers renew their professional certificates after every five years.

The teachers will now be required to undertake in-service professional training lasting for five years and get their certificates renewed.

The professional development will run for 30 years and has six modules each lasting five years.

WATCH: The latest videos from the Star