D+ Trainee Teachers Dismissed

Education CS has issued a directive to terminate the learning of over 3, 000 trainee teachers.

Currently we had 3,265 trainee teachers who were admitted to various colleges in Kenya following a directive in October 2018 by then Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed.

The teachers from hardship faced areas had sued the government and the court ruled in their favor.

Former education CS Amina Mohamed allowed students from hardship areas who scored a D+ in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams to join teacher training colleges to train as primary school teachers.

Some of the Counties that were allowed to admit the D+ trainees are Turkana, Samburu, Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo, Mandera, Garissa, Lamu, Tana River, West Pokot, Kwale, Kilifi and Taita Taveta.

The then education CS also named sub-counties in  Homa Bay, Narok, Baringo and Kajiado  that could also admit D+ students to TTCs.

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To their surprise immediately from holidays, Dr Kipsang issued a circular to principals of teacher training colleges clarifying that because a case filed by the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) over the admission requirement had been resolved through consensus, the D+ students would no longer be allowed in colleges.

Abdishukri Adan Muhumed a resident of northern Kenya has sued all the 27 TTCs, the Education ministry and the Attorney-General on behalf of the over 3,000 trainee teachers who got terminated by the directive.

Mr Muhumed argues that the discontinuation is unfair to the trainees. He said that the decision, threat and/or announcement of the said discontinuance of the commenced teachers training is arbitrary, capricious and untenable.

Justice Makau certified the muhumed’s case urgent but turned down his request to issue an interim order to re-admit the D+ students until he hears the response from the sued parties.

Justice Makau had ordered that the sued parties be served by a newspaper advertisement, which ran on Friday last week.

TCS CEO Nancy Macharia upholds that those wishing to train in early childhood development education must have a D+ and above, those joining diploma colleges must have a C+ and those going for a bachelor’s degree must attain at least a C+.