Parliamentary Committee Recommends Degree Qualification for Teachers
By Fredrick Siminyu
The parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports has taken a significant step towards enhancing the quality of education in the country.
In a report presented to parliament, the committee recommended that teachers should possess a degree in education or a relevant degree, and a postgraduate diploma in education for pre-primary, primary, and secondary school teachers.
This recommendation is part of the National Teacher’s Bill, 2023, which aims to regularize and standardize the teaching profession.
According to Hon. James Kubeketerya, the Committee Chairperson, “The committee observes that the Bill intends to ensure that the teaching profession is regularised and standardised, and the requirement of a Bachelor’s degree for a teacher will go a long way in achieving this.”
The committee also recommended the establishment of the National Teacher’s Council (NTC) as a body corporate. However, they suggested revising the council’s membership to include different categories of representatives concerned with the teaching profession.
Kubeketerya noted, “The committee observes that the council is composed of more persons who are not engaged in active teaching compared to those engaged in active teaching. Only three out of the seven members of the council are engaged in active teaching.”
Furthermore, the committee recommended collaboration between the NTC and the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC).
Kubeketerya emphasized, “Clause 10 should be amended to include collaboration with other government agencies and to provide for collaboration in training of trainers and accreditation for continuous professional development programmes for teachers.”
The committee also rejected the proposal for a one-year internship program for teachers, citing that it is unfair to require teachers to undergo another year of training after completing their degree.
Kubeketerya argued, “The committee observes that the period of one year is too long after a teacher has completed a degree and is subjected to another year of training, in addition to school practice. Teachers should only be required to do teaching and school practice.”
