The Moi University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Kosgey has asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to review teacher certification every five years where teachers sit for an exam to assess their competence.
Prof. Kosgey said that there was need to retrain and in-service teachers like other civil servants to retool and enable them keep abreast with the dynamics in education.
Speaking on Friday when he presided over the 26th graduation ceremony of Moi Teachers Training College, Baringo, Prof. Kosgey said in order to add value to quality of education provided to Kenyan children it was imperative for teachers to sit for aptitude test every five years so that those who do not have the right attitude to teaching can be weeded out.
“Teacher should be sitting for aptitude test every five years to weed out those teachers who do not have the right attitude to teaching. Teachers can’t keep abreast with changing dynamics in the education sector if they cannot undergo retraining and in servicing regularly especially with the introduction of the competence based curriculum (CBC) which calls for creativity and innovation on the part of a teacher,” he emphasized.
During the graduation ceremony attended by, among others, the college’s board of management chairman, Prof. Moses Limo, the Chief Principal, Lorraine Mukoya, the County Deputy TSC Director, Martha Mbugua and Baringo Central MP, Joshua Kandie, the Moi university vice chancellor commissioned 347 P1 and 88 Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE graduants with certificates.
On drug and substance abuse, the university don registered his disappointment that many youth were losing their lives at tender ages because of consuming hard drugs and other dangerous contraband drugs.
“I call upon all stakeholders to join hands in the fight against drug and substance abuse by our youth. We cannot sit and watch our children die because of drugs. Let us also step up counseling to help these youth at all levels of their education pursuits,” he implored.
He enumerated the roles of a good teacher at the current dispensation as an instructor, leader, role model and father figure, a function he noted was central role in the life of a child in education cycle.
On development, Prof. Kosgey challenged elected leaders, professionals and other critical education stakeholders in Baringo County to mobilize resources to refurbish and expand Moi TTC Baringo established by the late former president, Daniel arap Moi more than 30 years ago.
The vice chancellor observed that facilities in the institution were in pathetic state and urgently required a facelift to accommodate more teacher trainees especially now that it prepares to admit the first batch of Diploma students in September this year.
The BOM Chairman, Prof. Limo in his address said the college urgently needs more than Sh. 38 million to put up state of the art building and other essential facilities to improve performance.
The BOM chair noted that a lot has been done to improve physical facilities in the institution using internal resources like building of a new detached kitchen and ablution blocks for male and female students with a view to creating a conducive environment to excel.
Prof. Limo said the good performance posted by the college in last year’s exams was as a result of hard work, discipline, determination and perseverance on the part of students and cooperation and teamwork by tutors and parents.
Prof. Limo lauded the ministry of education and TSC for training the college’s lecturers on how to handle the Competence Based Curriculum which they in turn cascaded the knowledge to the teacher trainees.
However, Prof. Limo noted that parents owe the college huge fees arrears and urged them to clear to enable the management improve academic performance through putting up requisite facilities.
The Deputy County TSC director in her address lauded the graduands for successfully completing their approved two year teacher education course leading to the award of P1 and ECDE certificates.
Ms. Mbugua advised the graduands to immediately register with TSC in order to get certificates that will enable them practice in both private and public schools.
The registration and issuance of TSC numbers, she maintained, is critical because qualified teachers who are not registered are not allowed to teach in any school in Kenya and principals and head teachers found enlisting the services of such teachers will be dealt with accordingly.
The College Chief Principal, Ms.Lorraine Mukoya said in the past two years, the college has systematically registered improvements in the Primary Teacher Education examination results adding that in 2019 examination, the institution had a mean grade of 5.669 up from 5.8895 in 2018 and 6.185 in 2017.
By Joshua Kibet
