More Than 110,000 High School Teachers To Undergo Retraining

More than 110,000 secondary school teachers are set to undergo retraining to enable them to cope with the demand of Competency Based Curriculum, CBC.

Teacher Service Commission, TSC, says there are new learning areas that the CBC introduced that make it mandatory for all teachers to go back to school to gain skills on how to handle the subject’s adjustment.

In a letter, TSC informed the principal secretary for Education, Dr. Julius Juan, then there are some new subjects that will need teachers to undergo training and then be hired. There is a looming double intake come the year 2023 that has necessitated the preparation.

Those requiring special attention include pre-technical and pre-vocational education, life skills, agriculture, and health education. Others are optional subjects which include, indigenous language, Kenya sign language, visual arts, and performing arts.

In the Commission’s view, an overhaul of the teacher education curriculum is needed to meet the special requirements of CBC.

“We advise recommendation that the teacher education curriculum should be made flexible and aligned to enable a single teacher to teach a variety of subjects,” Nancy Macharia said.

At the moment, teachers undergo training only to teach two subjects but the demand of the CBC makes it a requirement to add teaching areas.

Some of the subjects introduced under the new system and have no teachers include leatherwork, wood technology, hairdressing and beauty therapy, plumbing and ceramic and welding fabrication. Others are mandarin, sports teachers, performing arts, and visual and applied arts.

Teachers in various subjects who will have adjusted or adopted new learning areas will be under training across the country according to Dr. Nancy Macharia.

The Commission recommends that sufficient funds be made available for the retooling and training of teachers for the effective implementation of the junior and senior secondary curriculum.

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