Senate Moves to Block ECDE–Primary Teacher Training Merger Over Devolution Concerns
The Senate has moved to block a proposed merger of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teacher training with primary teacher education, warning that the plan threatens devolution and risks destabilising early learning systems managed by county governments.
The move follows sharp criticism from the Senate Standing Committee on Education, which questioned a Ministry of Education directive seeking to integrate ECDE teacher training into the primary teacher education framework. Senators argued that the proposal amounts to an unconstitutional overreach by the national government into a devolved function.
Under the proposal, the Ministry of Education intends to merge the Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) and the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) into a single programme known as the Diploma in Teacher Education – Pre-Primary and Primary (DTE PP & P).
Appearing before the Senate during a sitting at Bunge Towers, members of the Education Committee said the directive was issued through an administrative circular without consultation with county governments or key education stakeholders.
Committee chairperson Senator Betty Montet said ECDE is explicitly listed as a devolved function under the Constitution and any policy changes affecting its training, staffing or management must involve counties and be subjected to public participation.
“ECDE is a devolved function, and any policy change affecting counties must be subjected to public participation and stakeholder consultation,” Montet said.
“You cannot change how a devolved function is managed through a circular issued at the national level. That is unconstitutional,” Mumma stated.
Machakos Senator Kavindu Muthama raised concerns over the abrupt nature of the proposed merger, saying it has already created confusion among students currently enrolled in ECDE programmes and institutions that admitted trainees under existing guidelines.
“Students joined ECDE programmes knowing exactly what qualification they were pursuing. Changing the rules midstream creates uncertainty and anxiety for learners and trainers alike,” she said.
The committee cautioned that instability at the foundational level of education could have long-term consequences for learning outcomes, teacher preparedness and workforce planning under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku Ole Kanar emphasised that early childhood education is a specialised field that requires distinct pedagogical approaches suited to young learners. He warned that merging ECDE with primary teacher education risks diluting professional standards.
“Early childhood education is not a lesser form of teaching. It requires specialised training focused on play-based learning, child development and care,” Ole Kanar said. “Blending it with primary training weakens the very foundation of our education system.”
County governments also voiced strong opposition to the directive. Appearing before the committee on behalf of the Council of Governors, Kericho Governor Dr Eric Kipkoech Mutai said counties were not consulted despite ECDE falling squarely within their mandate.
“We were never consulted, yet we are responsible for ECDE implementation,” Mutai told senators. “This merger risks disrupting county education systems, straining budgets and reversing gains made since devolution.”
Education experts and representatives from universities and teacher training colleges echoed the senators’ concerns, noting that ECDE training is care-oriented, play-based and research-driven, with a clear academic progression from certificate to postgraduate levels.
They warned that the proposed merger could blur professional pathways, undermine standards and discourage specialisation in early childhood education.
In response, the Senate Education Committee said it will compile submissions from counties and stakeholders before formally engaging the Ministry of Education. Several senators indicated that the directive may need to be suspended or withdrawn entirely until constitutional requirements are met.
“We will not allow devolution to be undermined through policy shortcuts,” Montet said, signalling a potential showdown between the Senate and the Ministry over the future of ECDE teacher training.
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Senate Moves to Block ECDE–Primary Teacher Training Merger Over Devolution Concerns
