Education Stakeholders Association of Kenya (ESAK) has urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to review employment and promotion guidelines in order to accommodate all teachers including Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers.
Speaking to Education News, ESAK National Secretary Ndung’u Wangenye said that the commission should consider opening Career Progression Guidelines, for all teachers such that they can rise up to job group D5 which is the rank of Chief Principal by allowing establishment of a teachers’ regulatory body just like other professionals.
Wangenye further noted that teachers being employed today have enough experience, some spanning to over 10 years, however when employed they are placed at the job group C1, which creates an impression that the 10-15 years working is a waste of time.
“Teachers who are being employed today have a lot of experience. Some of them having worked under BOMs and private schools or practiced teaching elsewhere thereby gaining a lot of skills and experience over the years. A teacher who graduated in 2010 and registered the same year has gained experience of 15 years by 2025 and the commission would therefore be wasting their time by placing them at job group C1 on employment thereby creating an impression that the over 15 years that teacher was working is a waste.” Wangenye said.
The ESAK boss also called for the establishment of a teachers’ regulatory body just like other professionals to fully concentrate on the career development and teachers’ welfare, leaving the TSC as the employer.
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“The challenge is when TSC acts as an employer and a regulator professional body at the same time creating a notion that anyone not employed by TSC has no skills and has to start at lowest level of teaching. If there was an independent regulatory professional body for teachers such skills would be recognised prior to employment by TSC and such a teacher can join the professional at job group C4 or even C5.” He said.
“This is well exhibited in the legal practice where an advocate who has practiced law for over 15years can be directly employed as a judge of high court because his 15years practice are put into consideration by Judicial Service Commission (JSC). It’s high time we put the good reputation of teaching profession where it rightfully belongs not where it has been placed.”
He maintained that the promotion period should be reduced from 3 years to 6months, to give young teachers an opportunity to be leaders while still young, energetic and resourceful.
“Management positions should not be reserved for the elderly only. We have young Chief Executive Officers of big state corporations and in private sector who run their institutions very effectively and efficiently. Promotion should be based on competence, skills, knowledge and qualifications but not the number of years one has stayed or overstayed in a certain job group.” Wangenye said.
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He said that TSC should not bury its head in the sand but rather be privy to the changing global dynamics of the modern societal needs and adjust it’s numerous, static and strict policies which are long overdue and have been overtaken by time and events.
“TSC should allow the regulatory professional body for teachers to thrive alongside them for the betterment of teaching standards in this country. Legal profession has Law Society of Kenya (LSK) as a regulatory professional body that thrive alongside Judiciary and Judicial Service Commission (JSC) as employer. Medical Practitioners have Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) as a regulatory professional body that exist alongside Ministry of Health and County Governments as the employers just to mention but a few.” Wangenye said
He added that TSC has so much to bite and are unable to chew, and that is why teachers have the myriad of challenges in the profession.
He warned that if remedial measures are not taken, the time bomb will soon explode, urging the Parliament to make necessary legislation to actualise this.
“We must have a paradigm shift and the time to have that shift is now.”
By Juma Ndigo
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