For decades, teachers have carried a silent burden—shaping minds, implementing policy, mentoring generations—yet many retire or serve without recognition, trapped in stagnant grades or underpaid despite noble duties. Why must dedication and excellence alone be insufficient for career growth? This injustice must end. Commissioners Sharon Kisire and Timon Oyucho now stand at the helm of a historic opportunity.
Tasked with reviewing the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG), they confront decades of systemic neglect, inequity, and frustration that have quietly eroded morale across the country. This is not merely a policy exercise—it is a chance to repair a broken system and restore dignity not only to teachers but also to CSO officers and Sub-County Directors, who perform critical oversight functions yet remain inadequately remunerated despite their noble responsibilities. How the Commission acts now will determine whether Kenya’s education workforce regains its rightful place as pillars of national development or continues to languish in professional limbo.
For decades, Kenya’s teachers have carried a silent burden: stagnation. It festers quietly in staffrooms, in deputy offices, and in the hearts of headteachers who rise before dawn to lead schools under harsh conditions, yet retire at Grade D1 with little acknowledgment of their sacrifices. Classroom teachers, the backbone of learning, remain stuck at C3, unable to advance unless they abandon the classroom for administrative positions. Meanwhile, CSO officers and Sub-County Directors—tasked with monitoring schools, ensuring curriculum compliance, supporting staff, and implementing policy—often perform these duties without adequate recognition or financial reward. The message is unmistakable: excellence and responsibility do not guarantee progress or fair compensation.
The consequences of stagnation ripple across the education system. Staffrooms are tense, dominated by whispered anxieties about the next administrative interview—not because teachers crave leadership, but because it has become the only path to career survival. Promotions have become scarce prizes, sparking unhealthy competition, mistrust, and resentment. In one rural primary school, a long-serving headteacher sighs over her morning coffee, reflecting on why three decades of dedicated leadership count for nothing more than a D1 grade. A senior teacher, meanwhile, pores over lesson plans, knowing that if he does not pursue a deputyship, his career will stagnate forever. Are these isolated cases? Sadly, no. Across Kenya, this quiet injustice repeats itself, eroding morale and undermining the system that should nurture excellence.
The pressures of this flawed system force teachers into impossible choices. Many pursue administrative roles not out of passion for leadership, but for allowances, perks, and survival. Teachers who would rather remain in classrooms feel compelled to chase positions they never wanted, simply to protect their careers. CSO officers and Sub-County Directors similarly face professional frustration: responsible for supervision, policy enforcement, and guidance, they perform critical duties without commensurate recognition or adequate financial reward. This systemic flaw is corrosive, distorting career pathways, undermining leadership, and sending a clear message: loyalty, skill, and performance are secondary to strategic maneuvering.
The injustices are glaring. Primary headteachers manage entire institutions, implement the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), handle community expectations, resolve staff conflicts, and ensure learner progress—yet they remain blocked at D1. Meanwhile, secondary school counterparts and deputies advance steadily. Classroom teachers face similar stagnation.
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Those who excel in teaching, mentoring, and curriculum delivery find themselves trapped at C3, despite additional qualifications, workshops attended, and excellent student results. A survey of 200 teachers in rural counties found that over 70% felt “professionally trapped” due to the absence of classroom promotion pathways. CSO officers and Sub-County Directors, despite being the backbone of educational oversight in their sub-counties, are often left with limited career progression and stagnant pay, undermining the system’s ability to function effectively. The profession has created forced pathways: talented educators and officers are either pushed into administrative roles or left to stagnate. Excellence is punished, loyalty to the classroom is discouraged, and the quality of education suffers.
But there is hope. The upcoming TSC review presents an opportunity to ensure that classroom teachers can move up the grades without becoming administrators and that CSO officers and Sub-County Directors receive fair recognition and remuneration for their critical duties. Teachers who excel in curriculum delivery, mentoring, and student outcomes should have clear, structured pathways for promotion based solely on merit and professional growth. Administrative positions should be optional, not the only route to career advancement. For oversight officers, this means establishing clear financial incentives, career pathways, and recognition that reflect the magnitude of their responsibilities. Would we not all want a system that rewards excellence where it matters most—directly with learners and those who supervise their progress?
The impact of reform would be transformative. Staffrooms across Kenya would no longer echo with frustration: “I have taught for twenty-five years and still cannot move beyond C3. If I don’t take a deputyship or headship, my career is over.” Younger teachers would see a profession where dedication to the classroom is valued, where excellence is rewarded, and where career pathways are transparent. CSO officers and Sub-County Directors would feel recognized and fairly compensated for their work, motivating them to perform their duties diligently. Morale would rise, innovation would thrive, and learners—the ultimate beneficiaries—would experience higher-quality education from motivated teachers and oversight officers who are acknowledged for their work.
The Teachers Service Commission has a critical opportunity—but it demands bold, decisive action. Commissioners Kisire and Oyucho must craft a system where promotions are fair, structured, and not tied exclusively to administrative roles. Teachers should advance based on merit, training, and classroom performance, with clear pathways beyond C3 for classroom educators and beyond D1 for primary heads. Recognition, financial incentives, and career mobility must no longer be privileges reserved for those willing to leave the classroom—they must be guaranteed rights for all who dedicate themselves to the nation’s learners. CSO officers and Sub-County Directors must also have predictable pathways for growth, with commensurate remuneration reflecting their noble responsibilities.
A comprehensive and equitable package could transform the profession. Better salaries, allowances, and career incentives would allow teachers to choose whether to remain in classrooms or pursue administration without fear of penalty. Headteachers would feel valued for the enormous responsibilities they shoulder, and classroom teachers would finally see clear pathways for advancement. Oversight officers would be motivated and fairly compensated, strengthening school performance across the country. Healthy competition would replace toxic rivalry. Morale would rise. And learners—the ultimate beneficiaries—would experience the tangible benefits of motivated, committed professionals.
Imagine staffrooms and sub-county offices where veteran teachers and officers remain because their contributions are recognized, where new recruits are motivated by transparent career pathways, and where promotions and allowances are earned through excellence rather than fought over as scarce prizes. This is the vision the TSC review must realize. Anything less would perpetuate stagnation, frustration, and demotivation.
The reality is stark. Years of unaddressed stagnation and underpayment have eroded trust, morale, and professional pride. The TSC review is a test of whether the Commission can restore dignity to the teaching profession. Bold, sweeping reforms are required. Cosmetic changes will only deepen disillusionment.
Kenya cannot build a modern, competitive education system on the backs of demoralized teachers and underpaid oversight officers. Learners, communities, and the nation’s future pay the price when the workforce responsible for shaping minds and supervising schools feels undervalued, trapped, and overlooked. The time for half-measures is over. The time for justice is now.
Commissioners Kisire and Oyucho have the opportunity to deliver a framework that acknowledges decades of neglect, corrects systemic inequities, and motivates the workforce. Teachers must be given predictable, fair, and merit-based career pathways, with improved remuneration and recognition across the board. CSO officers and Sub-County Directors must also receive appropriate pay and clear career progression. This is the only way to restore morale, retain talent, and ensure schools thrive under dedicated, inspired, and fairly treated professionals.
The country is watching. Teachers are watching. CSO officers are watching. History will remember whether this review was a turning point or another missed opportunity. For too long, educators and oversight officers have been trapped by outdated policy, forced into administrative posts or left underpaid for survival, and denied recognition for their contributions. The time to fi this is now. Kenya’s education workforce deserves justice, and the nation cannot afford to fail them.
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