Public School teachers to renew their professional certificates after every five years. TSC CEO Nancy Macharia says the plan is meant to professionalise teaching fraternity to match other careers like Law and Engineering.
TSC has signed a deal with four institutions of higher learning that will provide professional development training to teachers. Kenyatta University, Mount Kenya University, Riara University and Kenya Education Management Institute will offer the Teacher Professional Development modules.
According to the commission each teacher will have to pay Sh6,000 per year for professional development training. The TSC has already started training of lecturers who are expected to take charge of the programme in these institutions.
In addition a teacher will take a minimum of 42.5 hours of professional development. This will consist of five days of face-to-face sessions per year and two online sessions.
All the sessions will be carried out during the school holidays while all face-to-face sessions will be undertaken at the 290 sub-county training centres across the country.
Many components of the TSC Teacher Professional Development programme will be available to teachers online and will be accessed through mobile phones.
Teachers in the service will be trained after every five years and every level of the training will take five years and a teacher will move from one level to the next until the sixth.
The commission has also indicated that Teacher Professional Development will continuously update teacher knowledge, skills, attitude & values and encourage teachers’ learning communities.
After completing all Teacher Professional Development modules, teachers will be eligible for re-certification & promotion. They will also enhance their knowledge and skills.