The Ministry of Education has officially scrapped the stand-alone Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE).
The move transitions Kenya to a merged training framework that consolidates early childhood and primary teacher education into a single, unified diploma program.
The reform is designed to align teacher training with the requirements of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The government aims to produce versatile educators equipped to handle learners across the entire early years from pre-primary (PP1) to Grade 6.
Principal Secretary for the State Department for Basic Education, Prof. Julius Bitok, issued a firm directive to all education offices and teacher training colleges (TTCs) confirming the immediate cessation of the old program.
“No admissions shall be undertaken for the DECTE programme, and no registration or approval of colleges shall be processed to offer DECTE or UDECTE programmes,” stated Prof. Bitok.
“Consequently, the Upgrade Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (UDECTE) has also been discontinued.”
While previous certificate and diploma paths often allowed for lower entry grades, the new unified diploma mandates a minimum mean grade of C (Plain) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
This shift ensures that all foundational educators possess a standardized academic background.
However, the sudden nature of the directive has sparked intense debate.
On the floor of the Senate, Embu Senator Munyi Mundigi demanded a clearer roadmap to protect the investments of those currently in the system.
“The government must come clean on the fate of these teachers,” Senator Mundigi argued.
“We need a clear roadmap for current students to ensure those already enrolled are allowed to graduate without loss of time or money.”
To address these concerns, the Ministry clarified that students currently enrolled in the defunct DECTE program will be permitted to complete their coursework and graduate.
Furthermore, for existing educators holding old P1 or ECDE certificates, a five-term “Upgrade Programme” remains the primary pathway to transition into the new diploma status and maintain eligibility for employment by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
