Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will now be required to consult with the Ministry of Education before deploying and promoting teachers, headteachers and principals.
This will be a shift from the current move where the Commission holds immense powers on deployment and promotion.
In the recommendations contained in Prof. Raphael Munavu’s education reform taskforce report, TSC in consultation with MoE has been directed to harmonise teacher management guidelines on deployment, promotion of teachers and institutional administrators and teacher welfare.
Stakeholders raised concerns about the lack of consultations between TSC and the MoE on the promotion and transfer of teachers, especially the heads of institutions.
Other concerns were failure to recognize and offer compensation for teachers who acquire master’s and doctorate degrees, failure to bring on board technical subject teachers in TTCs, and failure of the Career Progression Guideline (CPG) to consider other factors such as experience and effectiveness in the promotion of teachers.
“Regarding the welfare of teachers in the service, there were serious concerns about the non-consultative transfers and appointment of institutional administrators between the TSC and MoE, the delocalisation policy, the disjointed in-service teacher education programmes, and the lack of a collaboration framework between partners offering teacher education and management services,” reads the report.
Additional concerns included the promotion of Special Needs Education (SNE) teachers, curriculum support officers, and secretariat staff and setting guidelines for teachers employed by the Board of Management.
The rivalry between TSC and the Education Ministry began in 2012 when then TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni revoked the powers of the Provincial Directors of Education and District Education Officers, then under the Ministry, from managing teachers.
And now the recommendation by the PWPER if fully implemented implies that the Ministry of Education will regain its powers and have a say on the deployment and promotion of teachers especially the head of institutions who control a big chunk of school capitation.
The Ministry has also regained its full powers over Quality Assurance and Standards after being centralised to the Ministry, with TSC QAS officers being directed to be deployed to the MOE within 6 months.
By Our Reporter
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