Photo courtesy of Citizen.
The Teachers Service Commission ( TSC) is proposing for the scrapping of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed)degrees in universities. The Cabinet Secretary ,George Magoha is for the move saying it will enable the implementation of a contemporary based Curriculum (CBC), ensure quality in the delivery of services and transform the education sector.
Under the CBC programme teachers will be expected to go digital, Be smart and use smartphones, innovate, use project based learning for learners, learn new technologies and embrace learner-centered classrooms and personalized instructions.
If the Bachelor of Education course is scrapped of from the Universities then the students who wish to pursue a career in teaching will have the liberty to either register for a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science degree and a one-year post-graduate diploma in education to qualify for registration as teachers. Thus, a diploma will be the minimum requirement for primary all primary school teachers marking an end to training in certificate courses for teachers as Teachers Training Colleges will admit applicants who scored Grade C and above in KCSE.
The B.Ed degree has existed as the basic training course for teachers in Kenya since 1972. Bachelor of Education is undoubtedly one of the most famous degree choices in Kenya because many students who join universities every year opt for it. Currently, Kenyan Universities produce hundreds of thousands of graduate teachers every year. The Teachers Service Commission has announced very strict requirements to aspiring teachers. To get a TSC Number now requires an additional one-year Post-graduate Diploma in Education.
The TSC is making public its intention to do away with the bachelor of education course by September this year. However, there are matters the Teachers Service Commission is yet to address. What happens to the students who are taking the bachelor of education courses? Do they have to start a bachelor of science or art course? How do they intend to ensure this move does not inconvenience university students.
The Teachers Service Commission has embarked on an ambitious and radical reform process in the Education sector that is already stirring opposition from unions including the Universities Academic staff union (UASU). What remains to be seen is whether the transition will be smooth and accommodating.
