Gov’t to intensify English training for teachers

Education Minister, Dr. Charles Murigande, yesterday revealed that his ministry is going to strengthen training of teachers in English language proficiency. Addressing the press at the Prime Minister’s offices, Murigande said the Ministry is going to look for mentors for the teachers to improve their English. “We carried out training for the teachers in December, now we will give them mentors who will follow their progress in schools, helping them in the language,” he added. Murigande emphasised that training teachers during holidays was not enough and that is why they had opted for mentors. He underscored that if they fail to get enough mentors in the country, they will get them from other countries in the region. English language training for teachers aims at equipping them with skills in the language following a resolution by cabinet in 2008 to adopt it as the language of instruction in schools. “For the last two years we have been collaborating with the British Council to train our teacher’s and avail an opportunity for them to learn English,” the Education Minister explained. In 2008, around 3,000 teachers were trained, and in 2009, the first nationwide English language training was held, reaching about 42,000 teachers. Ends