CS Machogu Urges TVETs to Stick With Technical Courses
The Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education Ezekiel Machogu has implored Principals of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to stick to offering technical courses as directed by the Ministry of Education.
CS Machogu said that some TVET colleges had been offering other courses related to technical skills. According to him, in some instances, the courses took a big portion of tuition fees thus dimming the main role of the TVET colleges.
“I do not want our TVETs to dilute their programmes with other courses like Business. The government is supporting TVETs to absorb the majority of students who do not qualify to join universities,” said CS Machogu.
The CS was briefing secondary school and TVET principals on the preparation of Grade Sic, Standard Eight and Form Gour examinations at Kisii School on Thursday when he revealed that TVETs have a shortage of 6,000 tutors, adding that the government is planning to recruit 3,000 tutors in the coming year to address the shortage.
Besides, Machogu said that the government is also having a shortage of 116,000 teachers in primary and secondary schools. However, he added that plans have been put in place to employ 30,000 teachers at the beginning of the coming year and that recruitment of teachers will be done gradually to address the shortfall.
Regarding the upcoming national examinations, the CS said that the government is prepared to deliver credible examinations and urged individuals who will be tasked with administering the national examinations to be vigilant and avoid being tricked by conmen who claim that they have leakages for the examinations.
“The government has involved multi-agencies in the administration of the examinations which is set to begin on the 28th of November 2022. Examination materials have been dispatched to 493 distribution and storage centres,” added CS Machogu.
On his part, the State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr Julius Jwan called on stakeholders to support CS Machogu to ensure that the upcoming national examinations are delivered with credibility and the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) implemented for the benefit of Kenyan learners.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Executive Secretary Lucifellah Bwari Machuki called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to train more teachers on the CBC, build infrastructure in schools and recruit more teachers to implement the curriculum for it to be a success.
She also urged TSC to stop de-localization and post teachers within their home counties instead.
Among CS Machogu’s entourage were the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) Kisii County Chairperson Joyce Orioki, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) Chief Executive Officer Dr David Njeng’ere, Kisii County Director of Education Pius Ngoma, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Kisii Executive Secretary Joseph Abincha, Kisii University Vice-Chancellor Prof John Akama and other officials from teachers’ unions.
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