The government has warned schools against hiring non-trained teachers as drama directors or sports coaches.
Speaking on Tuesday, February 24, Nandi KUPPET Director Harisson Muriuki stated that the Ministry of Education demands that all coaches must be approved by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
"The rule not only applies to drama but also to sports. There are some schools which hire teachers from outside, and we would like for all schools to hire teachers registered under TSC so that we can have discipline in the events," Muriuki stated.
He added that hiring non-trained teachers to coach students during drama festivals and sports competitions could potentially expose students to unprecedented danger.
His sentiments were echoed by Education Lead Tecla Lagat, who argued that only TSC-approved teachers had the skills to handle pupils and students.
"These non-teachers are not well-equipped on how to handle students, particularly on discipline matters," she explained.
The Ministry of Education argued that the move was to ensure that the standards of quality of education are met.
It further issued a stern warning to any individual who will be caught offering the aforementioned services to schools without accreditation by the teacher's commission.
The concerns about involving non-teachers coaching students came up during the National Drama Festivals last year, during the controversy surrounding the play 'Echoes of War'.
The government questioned why Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Deputy Party Leader, Cleophas Malalah, was allowed to direct a high-school play, yet he was not a teacher by profession.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba declared that it contravened the TSC regulations and the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival regulations.
Ogamba also cautioned schools and teachers from using the festivals against the weaponisation of children to fight political battles outside the learning environment.
