In the earlier decades of Kenya’s education service, teaching was more than a profession—it was a calling, defined by discipline, duty, and adherence to hierarchical authority. Teachers operated within a system where privileges, not rights, dictated welfare, and their survival often depended on the judgment of figures of authority: Assistant Primary Schools Inspectors (APSIs) and Education Officers at the district level, and headmasters within the school compound. Authority was visible, immediate, and largely unquestionable. To a teacher, the sound of an inspector’s motorcycle in the village, or the arrival of a headmaster inspecting classrooms, was a reminder that obedience and professional conduct were paramount.
APSIs rode government-issued motorcycles whose engines produced a distinctive metallic rhythm. The sound echoed across villages and school compounds, immediately signalling their approach. Teachers, aware that inspections often determined allowances, promotions, and transfers, instinctively became alert. Classrooms quieted, routines paused, and personal conduct was measured against the invisible yardstick of authority. These motorcycles were more than transport—they were audible symbols of power, projecting authority before the inspector even arrived. Teachers would sometimes gather silently to anticipate inspections, ensuring uniforms were neat, lessons were prepared, and compounds were tidy, knowing that even minor lapses could affect their privileges.
Within schools, headmasters wielded comparable influence. They were the custodians of discipline and the intermediaries between teachers and higher authorities. Their conduct, like that of APSIs, was hands-on and deeply personal. Principals inspected classrooms, dormitories in boarding schools, and teachers’ records with meticulous care. Punctuality, lesson preparation, and moral conduct were non-negotiable. Teachers were aware that their welfare—housing, allowances, even continued service—could be affected by the headmaster’s judgment. In that era, principals exercised considerable discretionary power, guiding both the school’s daily operations and the professional development of their staff. Many teachers recalled being called unexpectedly to present lesson plans, justify teaching methods, or explain delays, highlighting the high expectations of conduct and performance.
House allowances, one of the most visible forms of teacher welfare, were not automatic. APSIs and headmasters physically inspected teachers’ homes, assessing size, number of rooms, roofing materials, and sanitation. Marital status heavily influenced allowances: married teachers, assumed to carry family responsibilities, were granted higher sums, while unmarried teachers received smaller allocations or single-room quarters. Once an inspector or headmaster submitted a recommendation, it was final and unquestionable. No appeals, unions, or legal protections existed. Teachers navigated a delicate balance, ensuring that their conduct, professionalism, and discretion aligned with the judgment that controlled their privileges.
Salaries in those decades were modest. Senior teachers and headmasters earned around 4,000 shillings, while the lowest-paid teachers survived on a few hundred to just over 1,000 shillings. Such wages demanded careful management, and teachers often relied on allowances, small grants, or in-kind support. Despite the challenges, teachers demonstrated remarkable duty-consciousness and discipline. They arrived early, meticulously prepared lessons, maintained order in classrooms, and often went beyond the formal curriculum to support students’ welfare. Their professionalism was not driven solely by pay or privileges but by a commitment to the calling of education, even under constrained resources.
Headmasters, meanwhile, were both leaders and disciplinarians. They were expected to model moral and professional integrity, ensuring that teachers and students adhered to strict codes of conduct. While inspectors determined broader welfare privileges, principals enforced compliance, maintained school records, oversaw examinations, and handled daily administrative matters. Their authority, like that of APSIs, was personal and largely unquestioned. Teachers and students internalised discipline not merely out of fear but as part of a culture of respect, duty, and professional ethics. Headmasters also acted as mentors, offering guidance to younger teachers and occasionally mediating conflicts between staff or between students and teachers, further reinforcing their central role in school life.
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Over time, however, the highly discretionary system of authority and privileges proved unsustainable. Independence, rapid expansion of education, and the growing number of teachers demanded standardisation and predictability. The establishment of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) marked a decisive transformation in teacher welfare. Salaries and allowances were codified, house allowances were determined by job group and station, and marital status ceased to influence entitlements. Inspectors and headmasters could no longer arbitrarily grant or withhold privileges; authority became institutional, regulated, and accountable.
The role of principals also evolved. Where once they relied on personal discretion and on-the-spot inspections, modern principals focus on strategic management, instructional leadership, and compliance with institutional guidelines. Discipline is still emphasised but balanced with counselling, restorative approaches, and professional mentorship. Law, contracts, and collective bargaining agreements protect teachers’ welfare. Decisions regarding promotions, transfers, and allowances are guided by policy and formal procedures, reducing arbitrariness and favouritism.
Unionisation and collective bargaining further strengthened the profession, ensuring that teachers’ welfare was no longer dependent solely on personal judgment but grounded in rights, contracts, and institutional oversight. Headmasters now work collaboratively with teachers, parents, and school boards, fostering environments that encourage discipline and academic excellence while respecting the legal and professional rights of staff. Technology and digital record-keeping have added transparency, allowing performance evaluations, attendance, and student progress to be monitored efficiently and fairly.
Despite these reforms, the memory of the earlier era persists. Teachers recall the distinctive sound of an inspector’s motorcycle, the suspense of unannounced visits, and the careful attention required to navigate meagre salaries and discretionary privileges. Headmasters’ inspections, strict adherence to rules, and moral leadership shaped a generation of teachers who were resilient, disciplined, and profoundly duty-conscious. They worked not because they were guaranteed rights or high pay, but because they were committed to their students, their schools, and the wider community.
The evolution from that system of personalised authority and discretionary privileges to the current model of institutionalised rights and regulated authority mirrors Kenya’s broader journey in governance. Teachers now operate in a professional environment that guarantees security, standardizes welfare, and emphasizes accountability, yet the ethos of discipline and commitment cultivated under earlier dispensations continues to define the profession. The dedication, conscientiousness, and moral conduct of past generations remain a benchmark for today’s educators.
Ultimately, the story of teachers and headmasters in Kenya is one of adaptation, resilience, and evolving authority. From the metallic drone of motorcycles announcing inspectors’ arrival, the suspense of inspections, meagre salaries, and discretionary privileges, to a modern system of standardised pay, rights, and structured accountability, the profession has transformed dramatically. Yet, the enduring values—duty, discipline, and conscientious service—persist. The teaching profession, then and now, thrives not merely on salaries, allowances, or institutional structures but on the commitment of individuals dedicated to shaping young minds and upholding educational standards.
In reflecting on the past and the present, one sees that the conduct of teachers and headmasters, shaped by context and authority, has always been central to educational success. While authority has shifted from personal discretion to institutional regulation, the principles of integrity, professionalism, and responsibility remain at the heart of Kenya’s teaching profession. The motorcycle’s metallic hum may have faded, and discretionary privileges may have given way to codified rights. Still, the ethos of conscientious, disciplined service continues to define what it means to be a teacher or a headmaster in Kenya.
For students and communities, this evolution is more than administrative—it is cultural. The values instilled by disciplined teachers and principled headmasters of the past still shape classrooms today. Modern reforms, while ensuring fairness and equity, build on a foundation laid by generations who worked with dedication, integrity, and a profound sense of responsibility, demonstrating that the essence of education lies not in policy alone but in the character, commitment, and duty of those entrusted to teach
By Hillary Muhalya
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