Many of the form four leavers with D+ grades have been desperate for long, not knowing what to do next. Many have been opting to try out chances in military forces, but will this still continue? Well, Education Cabinet Secretary has some good news! She says Candidates scoring D+ in marginalised areas should be admitted to teacher training colleges.
The current minimum grade is C and above.
Northeastern and other ASAL areas are desperately short of teachers who flee terror attacks, bandit raids and cattle rustling. They balk at returning; other teachers fear being posted there.
The answer is hiring local residents until the situation returns to normal, Amina said in an interview with a local daily.
She said admitting candidates from 2006 to last year with D+ scores will ensure every child has equal access to education as guaranteed by the Constitution.
There’s an impasse with the Teachers Service Commission and others to end the critical teacher shortage.
The commission moved to the High Court following Amina’s directive to lower entry grade to colleges in October last year.
TSC is challenging the Kenya National Qualification Framework Act which allows the CS to review the standard of education and training of teachers.
CEO Nancy Macharia wants a High Court ruling that the CS has no power to determine entry grades.
The commission argues that Amina has questioned the agency’s constitutional mandate. It says this has caused anxiety in the teaching profession and the TSC is the sole body mandated with vetting and admitting students into teacher training colleges.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary education Teachers (Kuppet) had filed a similar suit at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
However, the union later withdrew the case on grounds the High Court had jurisdiction.
Amina has said lowering grades would help students in 17 marginalised areas without enough candidates to be admitted to teacher training colleges (TTCs).
The counties are Baringo, Garissa, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu, Marsabit, Mandera, Narok, Samburu, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir, West Pokot and part of Homa Bay.
About 3,500 students who sought admission to TTCs have been unable to continue with their classes because of the standoff pitting the ministry against the TSC.