Amina says her ministry will hire 1,200 teachers for Garissa, Wajir and Mandera

NAIROBI—The ministry of education will hire 1,200 teachers by first of May. Speaking during the launch of student scholarship program at Laico Regency on Friday, the Cabinet Secretary for Education Ms Amina Mohamed said she agreed with the elected leaders from the region to make the move, saying the matter was an urgent need.

”I want to assure the stakeholders that we have agreed with the elected leaders to recruit 1,200 curriculum assistants that will be financed by the ministry of education,” she said.

Amina added that the ministry would cater for two months until when they will be factored into the next budget due for mid year.

The announcement came at a time when students from the North Eastern Counties who want to train as P1 teachers will benefit as the government plans to lower the entry mark in teaching colleges to D plus.

However, students from other counties will be required to attain  a mean grade of C plain in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.

Speaking at Laico Regency, the Cabinet Secretary for Education ambassador Amina Mohamed said it was time North Eastern Counties produced their own teachers.

“Other regions have local teachers, why Not North Eastern? We will lower the grade so that this region can have local teacher too,” Amina said.

Education Ministry statistics show that only ten percent of students in teachers training colleges hail from North Eastern counties.

Non local teachers posted to the region have been seeking transfers since February, citing violation of their human rights. They cited discrimination on the basis of their race, sex, religion. Conscience, belief, culture, language and dress.

Amina Mohamed, the Cabinet Secretary for Education stated this will be the last intake of P1 teachers as the government plans to scrap the training in July and replace it with diploma training.

Some parents from this region are however not happy with D students training as teachers.

“A D student is someone who failed, how can a failure teach our children? The government should stop this,” Hassan, a parent told Kulan Post.

Applicants with Visual and hearing impairments will be required to have a mean grade of C minus to train as P1 teachers.