Here is the speech by the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, boss Dr Nancy Macharia during the launching of the new Curriculum training exercise for teachers at Uhuru Gardens primary school in Nairobi; on Tuesday 23rd April, 2019.
“I am pleased to be here today during the launch of this very important CBC teachers training programme for April.
First and foremost, I wish to thank all the teachers for putting everything aside during this holiday period to attend this important event. Reports reaching us indicate that teachers have turned out in large numbers in each of the 1,191 Zones in the country for similar trainings. I am once again proud of the Kenyan teacher.
This is just one of the many robust training programmes that the TSC plans to mount in our determination to ensure that all teachers are adequately prepared to successfully steer the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
This week alone, we will train 91,320 teachers to handle Grades 1-3 and Grades 4. As you well know, CBC was implemented in January up to Grade 3. It will be implemented for Grade 4 learners in 2020, a reason we have moved fast to prepare for the next level.
I wish to thank the Treasury for allocating us Sh.500million for the teachers training for CBC this month. Similar trainings will be conducted in August and December even as we explore ways of using ICT to ensure continuous interaction with CBC for all teachers. This should be seen as a clear sign that CBC must succeed at any cost.
At this juncture, I wish to confirm that the training on CBC is fully funded by the government and teachers will not be required to meet any cost for the training. Their meals and travel are fully taken care of.
The main objective of this workshop is to train teachers on how to handle the CBC in order to facilitate effective implementation. As a prelude to this weeks activities, the TSC has in the last two weeks facilitated the training of 181 master trainers who in turn have trained 1,165 regular and Special Needs Education (SNE) Curriculum Support Officers, and 1,320 CBC champions as Trainer of Trainers.
These officials are therefore required to train the teachers this week at all the 1,191 zonal training centres countrywide.
The training this week will involve head teachers, Early Years Education teachers and grade four teachers. Teachers of private schools are also involved in the training.
Effective delivery of curriculum requires continuous teacher professional development through innovative ways in order to match the pressure to provide access and quality education in knowledge-based societies and economies in the 21st Century.
Clearly, we recognise that teachers are going to be vital agents in the drive to effectively implement CBC. It is why we at TSC emphasise on continuous Teacher Professional Development (TPD). We will do everything we can to ensure that teachers are prepared and ready to deliver CBC. This will include the teacher trainees in our colleges who must be prepared on the demands of the new curriculum before they graduate.
I wish to promise the country that teacher preparedness for CBC isnt going to be a switch-on-switch-off affair. We will make it a rigorous, but continuous and sustained, activity to ensure it is a way of life for our teachers.
Our determination to ensure success of this training stems from the fact that provision of quality education is to a large extent determined by the capacity of teachers to effectively interpret and implement the curriculum.
This entails structuring the learning environment in line with the prevailing trends in education and learners needs.
We are sure this training will empower the teachers with the necessary skills and capacities to embrace and implement change in curriculum and assessment.
The TSC shall support and develop highly knowledgeable, reflective and professional teachers who have enhanced skills and confidence in a range of modern pedagogical tools such as coaching, facilitating and mentoring. These tools will allow teachers to act as role models for learners who are able to care for and inspire every child to achieve their full potential.
We hope that by the end of this weeks training, participants should be able to:
Acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for effective implementation of CBC.
Apply innovative pedagogical approaches and models.
Demonstrate competencies in assessment.
Be self- reflective, self-improving and supportive learners themselves.
It is hoped that through this training of teachers will assist them to keep abreast with the ever-changing dynamics in the curriculum content and assessment.
As I conclude my remarks, I wish to restate that through the support of the government, the Commission will conduct rigorous training to enhance implementation of CBC. I have already indicated that in the next four days 64,830 headteachers will be trained.
In August and December this year another 68,490 will be trained in each of the school holidays. Thus by end of December, a total of 228,3000 teachers will have been trained.
This will ensure teacher readiness on implementation of CBC. Finally, I wish all teachers fruitful training on CBC.”
