(MOMBASA COUNTY) – All teachers in Kenya must soon hold a renewable professional licence to teach in any school.
The Teachers Service Commission announced the new rule on Thursday during the 49th Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association annual conference in Mombasa. Acting Chief Executive Officer Evaleen Mitei said every registered teacher will need to complete a fresh Teacher Professional Development programme before a licence is issued. Each licence will be valid for five years and must be renewed after another round of training.
The training programme will run mainly online. Only a few sessions will require physical attendance. Mitei stressed that teachers will not pay anything for the courses. She said the commission wants to make the programme free and easy to reach for all teachers across the country.
The licence plan is designed to lift teaching standards and support the rollout of the Competency Based Education curriculum. Mitei said the teaching service must be licensed in the same way other professions are.
The commission said the licence will also help Kenyan teachers who look for work in other countries. Many have faced problems abroad because Kenya has not issued teaching licences before. Mitei said a new teacher mobility policy has been prepared to support those seeking overseas jobs.
To deliver the training, the commission is building a learning management system where teachers can access modules and track their progress. School heads have been urged to make sure their staff take part once the programme begins.
Alongside licensing, the commission has raised the minimum entry grade for primary school teaching from a P1 certificate to a diploma. Special pathways have been created for Special Needs Education learners. Teacher registration rules have also been changed to allow registration of instructors who teach a single subject in areas where there are staff shortages.
The commission has prepared a new staffing model to spread teachers more fairly across the country and cut shortages in remote and hard to staff zones. Mitei said the combined reforms aim to improve classroom practice and learner results.
The commission has also strengthened its Teacher Induction Mentorship and Coaching programme to help new teachers settle in and give ongoing support to experienced staff. Mitei said this will improve instructional quality and build teacher confidence.