In January 2026, the Ministry of Education formally scrapped the stand-alone Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE), marking one of the most consequential shifts in teacher training since the rollout of Competency-Based Education (CBE).
The decision replaces DECTE with a unified programme — the Diploma in Teacher Education: Pre-Primary and Primary (DTE PP & P) — merging early childhood and primary teacher training into a single pathway.
Why the government scrapped DECTE
Education officials say the move is intended to professionalise teacher training, eliminate fragmentation, and align learning with how children actually develop. Announcing the reform in a circular dated January 19, 2026, Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok said the separation of early childhood and primary training had created gaps in learning.
“Children do not learn in isolated phases,” Prof. Bitok said. “This integration ensures teachers are trained to support learners continuously from pre-primary through the primary years.”
The Ministry argues that under the old system, ECDE teachers were effectively confined to pre-primary classes, limiting mobility and creating abrupt instructional changes when learners transitioned to Grade One. The unified diploma is designed to produce teachers qualified to handle learners from PP1 to Grade 6, strengthening continuity in literacy, numeracy and psychosocial development.
The reform also raises the academic threshold for entry into the profession. The new programme requires a minimum KCSE mean grade of C (plain), effectively closing the long-standing ECDE pathway that admitted candidates with lower grades. According to the Ministry, this standardisation is necessary to improve teaching quality under the CBE framework.
What happens to current ECDE students and trainees
The directive immediately halted new admissions into DECTE and its upgrade version, UDECTE, with the Kenya National Examinations Council ordered not to register new candidates. However, the Ministry has assured that students already enrolled will be allowed to complete their courses.
On the Senate floor, Embu Senator Munyi Mundigi warned against disadvantaging learners caught mid-training. “The government must be clear on the fate of these teachers,” he said. “Those already in the system should not lose time or money.”
What this means for already employed ECDE teachers
For ECDE teachers currently employed by county governments, the reform does not invalidate existing contracts or qualifications. Their jobs are not immediately at risk. However, the policy significantly affects future career progression.
County and national hiring frameworks are gradually being aligned to the new diploma, meaning promotion, redeployment or absorption into the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is likely to require upgrading to the DTE PP & P.
A Ministry official familiar with the reforms said the goal is eventual integration of foundational education staff. “We are moving toward a system where early-years teachers are recruited, deployed and promoted under harmonised standards,” the official said.
Career paths for holders of the old ECDE diploma
Teachers holding DECTE are not locked out of the education sector. Many private schools, NGOs and early-learning programmes continue to value specialised ECDE expertise, particularly in Montessori education, special needs support and curriculum development.
In addition, Teacher Training Colleges are expected to roll out structured upgrade programmes allowing DECTE holders to transition into the unified diploma without restarting training from scratch.
As Kenya restructures its education workforce, the message from policymakers is clear: existing teachers are protected — but future growth will depend on adapting to the new, integrated training model shaping the country’s foundational education system.
Am deeply moved to this directive on my side due to am directly concerned,am currently on practicum having lost alot of money of which i would have invested on it,i would have done something positive. All hopes have gone down the drain.That is hiw kenya is,the rich and the poor will always be there.