TSC warns curriculum training at risk without Sh900m from govt

Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia before the National Assembly Committee on Education at parliament buildings on February 21, 2019. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia said Sh900 million is needed to support training in April, August and December.
  • The teachers to be trained are those teaching Grade 1, 2 and 3.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has warned that the training of 110,000 teachers who are supposed to implement the new curriculum will be at risk unless the government releases funds on time.

Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia said Sh900 million is needed to support training in April, August and December.

The teachers to be trained are those teaching Grade 1, 2 and 3.

“We need to start phases three, four and five yet the TSC has not received funds from the National Treasury,” Ms Macharia said on Monday.

SUPPORT

The CEO said the commission had taken several measures to support the effective implementation of the new curriculum which was rolled out early this year.

These, she said, include continuously mounting service programmes to guide teachers and providing curriculum support and field officers.

“Focus will be on assessment rubrics, pedagogy and inclusiveness planned by all relevant agencies including the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD),” she said.

ENGAGEMENT

Ms Macharia also said the TSC will undertake advocacy and awareness creation in communities to strengthen participation and support for the competency-based curriculum.

This will be based on the engagement guidelines the KICD developed.

The 2-6-3-3-3 system will replace the 8-4-4 system that has been in place since 1985. A pupil joining Pre-Primary 1 will be required to have attained four years while those joining Pre-Primary 2 will be aged five years.

Those joining Grade 1 will be aged six years with those joining grade 2 required to have attained seven years. For grade three, pupils must be eight years old.