TTC enrolment triples after government lowers entry grades
Data shows student numbers rose from 10,000 in 2021 to over 27,000 this year after the reforms were put in place.
Teacher Training Colleges across the country are experiencing a major turnaround after years of declining numbers, with enrolment tripling in just four years following the government’s move to ease admission requirements.
Data shows student numbers rose from 10,000 in 2021 to over 27,000 this year after the reforms were put in place.
The changes were part of recommendations made by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, which was appointed by President William Ruto and chaired by educationist Prof Raphael Munavu.
The adjustment of entry qualifications for pre-service teacher education has been described as the most critical step in saving TTCs that had been on the brink of collapse.
Currently, applicants for diploma programmes in Early Childhood, Primary, and Special Needs Education need a minimum of a KCSE C (plain) or its equivalent, with no subject cluster requirements.
For the Diploma in Technical Teacher Education, candidates must have a KCSE C (plain) alongside a C+ in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics subjects.
Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akelo Misori welcomed the reforms, saying the move came after a push to protect TTCs from shutting down.
“Many TTCs had ground to a halt. Experienced tutors were being deployed to secondary schools as student numbers dwindled,” Misori said.
Even with the progress, Misori pointed out that TTCs still face challenges such as delayed release of capitation funds, insufficient infrastructure, staff shortages, and cases where some TTCs were converted into universities.
He however, said the reforms marked an important step in keeping the institutions relevant, especially in supporting the Competency-Based Education system.
Kuppet chairman and Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba urged the government to further expand access by allowing day scholars to enrol in TTCs.
“Let the students live within the community so that the people around the colleges will see the importance of the institution. Then we would reduce the cost of education and boost enrolment,” Milemba said.
The Presidential Working Party also pointed to broader challenges within the teaching profession, noting that TTCs remain underutilised, teacher distribution across counties is uneven, and many students lack access to Higher Education Loans Board loans.
“The profession is not attracting students. There is inequitable teacher distribution—some counties face acute shortages, while others are overstaffed.
TTCs are underutilised, with many having more teachers. Critical issues include inadequate facilities and lack of access to Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) loans,” reads the report.
According to the Kenya Teachers Colleges Principals Association, some TTCs in regions such as North Eastern still struggle with enrolment since they do not attract students from outside areas.
“Without allowing walk-in admissions, these colleges risk having no students. The taskforce reforms, especially lowering the KCSE entry requirement to C plain (without subject clusters), have significantly boosted enrolment across TTCs,” the Association said, while asking the Ministry of Education not to restrict admissions based on bed capacity.
Kenya National Union of Teachers Deputy National Chairman Malel Langat noted that the easing of qualifications gave students from marginalised regions a chance to pursue teacher training.
“The reduction of qualifications gave many deserving students, particularly those from ASAL regions, the chance to access TTCs,” Langat said.
