The Teachers Service Commission should now cover the cost of teacher professional development courses.
Each module is supposed to cost Sh6000 for teachers across the country.
Wilson Sossion, a nominated MP, stated during a national assembly education committee hearing on the budget policy statement that the burden should be shifted to the government.
According to Sossion, most teachers have struggled to raise the necessary funds to enroll in the modules.
“This should not be a teacher’s problem; why hasn’t the commission budgeted for TPD development?” Sossion explained.
According to the former KNUT secretary general, the program demotivates teachers and should be reconsidered.
“Which law imposes the cost of TPD on teachers? Whether you like it or not, TPD will always be a source of contention “He continued.
Omboko Milemba, MP for Emuhaya, echoed Sossion’s words and urged the Nancy Macharia-led commission to include TPD in their budget.
“The main issue is the 6000. There is no mention of who should pay in that document “Milemba stated this.
According to the TSC boss, the program is a stand-alone project that requires a separate budget to be factored in.
Florence Mutua, the committee’s chairperson, asked Macharia and her team to submit a legal framework for TPD implementation.
Macharia was also questioned about the reasoning behind selecting institutions that offer the courses.
The training is overseen by Kenyatta University, Mount Kenya University, Riara, and the Kenya Education Management Institute.
According to Macharia, universities were asked to apply, but the majority of them, including ‘big’ public universities, did not.
“When we advertised and asked universities to apply, we expected universities like UoN and KU to apply, but they didn’t,” Macharia explained.
Mutua believes the varsities may have been hesitant to invest in the program because it is only a one-year contract.
TPD aims to assist teachers in renewing their professional certificates every five years.
Teachers will now be required to complete five years of in-service professional training before their certificates can be renewed.
The professional development will last 30 years and will be divided into six modules, each lasting five years.
