Teachers' colleges have failed to meet the target of new students (future teachers) enrollment.
In the last two years there has be a decline on students joining teachers' training colleges. This is said be as a result of poor performances in National examinations, KCSE, since 2016.
The teachers colleges are now relying on students who sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in years back, before Dr. Matiang'i error.
Out of the 10, 735 students expected to join the institutions, only 9, 349 applied wanting to be enrolled. The ministry also had a target of 786 diploma trainee, and out of it, only 650 applied.
The Kenya Teachers' Colleges Association wants the grades for admitting students to join teachers' colleges reduced from the current grade C plain to C- minus. The association says they have facilities in school that are underutilized because there is no enough students.
"We have colleges that have empty male students dormitories" said the Teachers' Colleges Association chairman, James Washaga, before the National Assembly's Education Committee , held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi on February 2. Other is attendance were Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, Teachers Service Commission chief executive Nancy Macharia, and Education committee vice-chairman Amos Kimunya.
"We have no students to admit, and the most colleges now have empty spaces. We relied on students who sat their exams in or before 2015, however the number is is almost exhausted and this year we do not know what we will admit." added Mr James Washaga.