Teacher’s Savings and Credit cooperative, commonly known as Umwalimu SACCO management, has cancelled its decision to suspend loan issuing for teachers who do not have postgraduate certificates in education (PGCE).
Basically, a postgraduate certificate, or professional certificate is an educational credential that is expected to give non-professional teachers advanced skills in education, as an area of specialization and eligibility to practice it.
The decision to resume giving loans, follows a consultative meeting from Umwalimu SACCO top management held on September 30,2022.
“Following a consultative meeting from Umwalimu SACCO management and difficulties indicated especially failing to send children to school by nonprofessional teachers, the loan issuing will resume as we wait for the final decision,” the statement released by Umwalimu SACCO management on October 3,2022 reads.
“The nonprofessional teachers will be facilitated to secure ‘small loans’. The decision to suspend loans would have led to loan defaulting in case teachers are suspended from their jobs,” the statement also reads.
According to the education ministry, all non-professional teachers had a three-year grace period ending next year on February 28,2023, to get PGCE in order to be allowed to continue teaching.
A directive to have all non-professional teachers attend post graduate training in education was released on March 31, 2020.
They are supposed to have PGCE from Teacher’s Training Colleges (TTCs) and universities with education faculties across the country.
