Teachers Service Commission (TSC) field officers across the country are protesting what they describe as an unfulfilled promise by their employer to provide ICT equipment crucial for their daily operations. Their concerns come just days after President William Ruto pledged that over 15,000 local administrators would soon receive ICT gadgets to support service delivery.
Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) and Sub-county Directors say they are working under poor and frustrating conditions, especially regarding data collection, storage, and transmission, a responsibility they perform daily.
“TSC requires us to collect, collate, and transmit data every day, yet it does not care how this data is collected or stored,” lamented Gregory Patrick, a field officer in Northern Kenya.
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An assessment of ICT infrastructure within TSC field offices reveals glaring gaps. While computers are available in Sub-county Director offices, officers report that most of the devices are outdated, slow, and rarely repaired due to lack of allocated funds.
“Most of the computers we were given are obsolete. Some need serious repair, but we hardly receive any support,” said a frustrated field officer from Central Kenya.
The situation is even dire for Curriculum Support Officers, the frontline data collectors. Since their offices were established, CSOs, both regular and special needs, say they have never received tablets or laptops from TSC, despite handling time-sensitive data assignments.
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Our findings show CSOs often use personal gadgets and struggle to meet what many describe as punitive timelines.
“Imagine being called at midnight to collect data from a zone with over 34 schools, yet you have no laptop or data bundles, and you’re told to submit everything by 8 a.m.,” narrated Kennedy, one of the officers.
After learning that chiefs will soon receive tablets, TSC field officers are renewing their plea to the commission to equip them as well.
“We no longer ask for laptops like before. Even tablets will do,” appealed John, a senior Curriculum Support Officer.
TSC has more than 1,400 Curriculum Support Officers including those serving learners with special needs, and over 300 Sub-County Directors nationwide. Providing ICT tools to these officers, they argue, would greatly improve efficiency and strengthen TSC’s reputation as a leader in public-sector ICT integration.
By Naboth Murunga
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