43 International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction Vol. 1(1), pp. 43 - 52, April 2011 Available online at muk.ac.ke/ijci/ ISSN 2077-4982 ©2011 Department of Curriculum, Inst ruction and Educational Media, Moi University Teacher Education in Kenya: Emerging Issues Kafu Patrick A. Abstract: Teacher Education is an important component of educ ation. It influences all aspects of education and beyond. Like other components of education, Teacher Education is influenced by social, political, economic and technological de velopments in a society. This paper examines the emerging issues in this component of education in Kenya brought about by the technological developments. Also discussed are the implications of these emerging issues to education and other related developments in this country. Introduction Teacher education is an important component of educ ation. Through it school teachers who are considered mentors of any society are prepared and produced (Lucas, 1972). Normally, it is ostensibly designed, developed and administered to produce school teachers for the established system of education (Kafu, 2003). Its importance i n human life has been recognized for a long time. For example, Lucas (1968) asserts that teach er education is the main pillar of any established system of education and the custodian o f the society’s culture. The Kenya government echoed the same view in the Sessional Pa per No. 6 of 1988 when it said that “there is urgent need to develop and promote teacher educa tion programme if the administration of education in the country is to succeed and national development is to be accelerated” (Republic of Kenya, 1988). These views summarize the importa nce and the role of teacher education in the survival of any society. In this respect, educatio n is regarded as the driving force behind development in a society. This realization explain s why emerging nations in Africa invested heavily in education in general and teacher educati on in particular in the mid-sixties and most part of the seventies (Kajubi, 1970). This paper e xamines the development of teacher education in Kenya, the related emerging issues, the implicat ions of these issues to the development of education and teaching profession in this country. This treatment may shed light on the developments in education, teacher education and te aching profession in Kenya this century. 44 The issues discussed in this paper may appear obvio us but they have not been given the attention they deserve. There is a tendency to gloss over th em though they have damaging effect on the development and administration of teacher education programme in general and teaching profession in particular. Perhaps because of the l ittle interest taken by the developing countries including Kenya in these issues explains the observ ed serious under-development in these areas of the world! This paper is divided into four sections namely, th e historical perspective of Teacher Education in Kenya, the status of this programme of education in the country, the emerging issues in the programme this century and the implications of thes e issues to the development of education and the future of teaching profession in Kenya. Historical Development of Teacher Education in Keny a Teacher Education has always been an important comp onent of education since time immemorial. This is because all societies in the w orld have always needed teachers to propagate/transmit their cultures (read education!) from one generation to another (Ssekamwa, 1969). Examination of education systems from ancient times to to-day reveals elaborate and deliberate practices of teacher education. Therefore, when di scussing the development of teacher education in Kenya, one should not lose sight of the fact tha t before the coming of Europeans there existed an elaborate teacher education system in indigenous /traditional African education systems (Kenyatta, 1963). This may not have been formal in the sense of Western European education system, but it produced competent teachers who sust ained the African indigenous/traditional education systems (Sifuna and Indire, 1974). But s ince these practices of teacher education were not properly documented, the focus of this paper wi ll be on the historical perspective of the formal Western European Teacher Education programme in Kenya since colonial era. Formal teacher education was introduced in Kenya in the mid-nineteenth century by European Christian Missionaries (Karanja, 1995). This progr amme of education was patterned on the Western European and Canadian established teacher e ducation models of the early nineteenth 45 century. The urge to establish teacher education a t the time was necessitated by the unplanned, rapid expansion of the “mission” and “bush” schools (Sifuna and Indire, 1974). This development called for an equally sharp increase in the supply of teachers to work in the newly established schools. In addition, there was need t o produce school teachers to relieve missionaries who were required to concentrate on mi ssionary/evangelization work. The established mission and “bush” schools were Pri mary (Classes B and A, and Standards I – IV) schools and intermediate (Standards V – VIII) s chools. These institutions needed Primary school teachers. Therefore, the designed teacher e ducation programme catered mainly for Primary School leavers from the level of Standard T hree to Eight (Standard III – VIII). This shows that most of the teacher-trainees were of low academic qualifications although for that period in time, they were the most well educated in dividuals. However, after the First World War (1914–1919), the re was increased demand for African education especially higher education (read seconda ry school education). This demand led to establishment of secondary schools which needed tea chers of higher calibre. Consequently, Makerere College in Uganda was established to train teachers of Diploma in Education qualification in the early 1940’s (Beecher Educatio n Commission, 1943; Karanja, 1995). This was followed by the introduction of Kenyatta Colleg e in 1965 and Kenya Science Teachers College in 1966 to train S1 teachers, and then Keny a Technical Teachers College in 1977 to train teachers in technical subjects at Diploma level (Ot iende, 1992). However, much earlier and to augment the effort of Makerere University College, University of Nairobi College had started training graduate secondary teachers with B.A./B.Sc . (Education option) qualification in 1966. But this was later to be transformed into the Bache lor of Education (B.Ed.) professional degree qualification in 1970. This was expanded with the establishment of Kenyatta University College in 1972. Today there are more than ten public and private universities in the country conducting teacher education programmes in Early Childhood Dev elopment Education (ECDE), Primary School Education and Secondary School Education but not Teacher Education . However, there are two disturbing features that have characterized the development and administration of teacher education in Kenya since 1847. It has always been managed by non-professionals in teacher education and it has remained too academic in natur e. This is the background to the issues presented here. 46 From the colonial period up to the mid-seventies (1 847-1970’s) teacher education was a respected component of education. It was an educat ion programme one would be proud of and reserved for the selected few! This was reflected in the administration of the programme. Only privileged individuals in terms of qualifications, experience and competence were associated with this programme of education. The society saw and felt that the future of Kenya lay in this programme of education. The society expected the p rogramme and its products (the school teachers) to develop and provide leadership in its development. But with time, this high esteem has steadily waned. The society no longer regards teacher education highly when compared to other sectors of education. This attitude is seen in the manner the government is managing this programme of education in comparison to Primary Sch ool education and Secondary School education sectors. The programme has been margina lized. Great emphasis is being placed on the development of the two sectors of education at the expense of teacher education. This treatment of teacher education has promoted the obs erved poor image of this programme, teaching profession and school teachers respectivel y in the society. This is why the emerging issues in teacher education presented herein below are of great interest not only to teacher educationists in Kenya but the Kenyan society. Emerging Issues in Teacher Education in Kenya These are new developments in teacher education in Kenya that have been occasioned by socio- economic-political changes and technological advanc ements locally and beyond. The impact of these developments on teacher education programme, education, teaching profession and national development is being felt. While at indep endence, this programme of education was viewed as the spur of national development, today i t is being treated as just one of those “ordinary” education programmes. Not much is heard about it in mass media, public fora and government circles. This means that the once rever ed education programme has been consigned to oblivion! This status of the programme great ha s generated great debate among the teacher educators and teacher educationists (Kelly, 2003). Therefore, it is timely to examine the cause (issues) that are currently impacting on teacher ed ucation in Kenya. The main emerging issues of interest include the concepts of teacher educati on and teaching profession, administration of teacher education programme, status of facilities a nd resources used in this programme, the ethics of teaching, the teacher education curriculu m, terms and conditions of service for teachers
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