TPD modules trainings 2023. Members of Parliament are urging the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to create legal documents,
enabling the government to cover the annual refresher training fees for educators.
The TSC requires each of the 340,000 teachers to undergo mandatory professional courses to advance in their careers.
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These refresher courses, known as Teacher Professional Development (TPD),
are divided into chapters and are offered once a year at a cost of Sh6,000 each.
This implies that, over the span of a teacher’s career, they would need to complete five modules,
amounting to approximately Sh180,000.
TPD modules trainings 2023
Members of the National Assembly Education Committee expressed their displeasure with TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia for not including these funds as a budgetary requirement.
MPs are demanding an explanation for how these training fees were calculated,
arguing that even school and university fees are highly regulated.
Florence Mutua, the committee’s chairperson, stated, “We want to know why TSC has not allocated this money in its budget statement to make it an independent budget line funded by the government.”
MPs have requested Macharia to draft and submit a legal framework that allows the government to cover the training costs.
TPD modules trainings 2023
They have also questioned the formula used by TSC to cap training fees. Macharia has referred to Section 35(2)(a) of the TSC Act, which legally enforces TPD.
According to the Act, the commission must mandate every registered teacher to participate in career progression and professional development programs,
as stipulated by the Act’s regulations.
Regulation 49(1) states that the commission must issue a teaching certificate to any teacher who successfully
completes a professional teacher development program. Additionally, under Regulation 49(3),
a teacher failing to complete the program will have their registration certificate suspended until they obtain the teaching certificate.
TPD modules trainings 2023
In essence, all teachers will need to take refresher courses to maintain their jobs.
TSC has selected institutions like
- Kenyatta University (KU),
- Riara University,
- Mount Kenya University (MKU), and
- the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI)
- to provide teacher training through a competitive process.
The TPD program is scheduled to be conducted during school holidays in April, August, and December.
TPD modules trainings 2023
The modular courses will be delivered through both online and in-person methods.
The introductory module, as per the plan, will be completed online and is composed of five chapters to be completed within a year.
Omboko Milemba, the chairman of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), believes that the state should bear the cost.
He mentioned, “TSC should prepare a legal document that led to the TPD program, explain how the training fees were calculated, and request the necessary funds.”
While continuous training enhances skills, Kuppet and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) argue that the cost should be covered by the employer.
Knut boss Collins Oyuu stated, “We are focused on ensuring that the employer fully covers or shares the cost of training,
as these skills are designed to benefit both the employer and employee.”
MPs have also called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to create legal documents to facilitate government payment of annual refresher training fees for tutors.
Wilson Sossion, a nominated MP, argued that the burden should be shifted to the government, emphasizing that most teachers struggle to afford the program.
TPD modules trainings 2023
Sossion raised questions about which statute imposes the TPD costs on teachers and suggested that it should be the government’s responsibility.
He believes that the program demotivates teachers and should be reevaluated.
The Kenya National Teachers Pressure Group (KNTPG) has been encouraging primary and secondary school teachers to oppose the Teacher Professional Development program.
The union argues that TSC should be the financier of TPD, in accordance with the code of regulations for teachers.
The group also questioned the eligibility of TPD, particularly for teachers nearing retirement, and
noted that the program was situated in institutions where many teachers had previously trained.
However, their Diplomas, Degrees, and Masters were rejected by TSC on the grounds of non-recognition.
According to the TSC boss, the program is a stand-alone project requiring a separate budget allocation.
