- Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has urged TSC to grant Junior Secondary School teachers greater autonomy and improve their welfare.
- He criticized the placement of JSS teachers under primary school heads, saying it has created tension and demoralization.
- The MP also called for JSS teacher representation in the Teachers Service Commission.
Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa has urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to grant Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers greater autonomy and address what he described as unfair treatment under primary school administration.
Speaking to a group of JSS teachers gathered at his Nasianda home in Kimilili, Barasa said the current structure was demoralizing teachers and undermining the stability of learning under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
He faulted the Commission for carrying out transfers without sufficient regard for the personal and professional lives of teachers, arguing that moving educators across long distances on short notice was breaking up families and disrupting continuity in schools.
According to Barasa, such decisions should be made with greater consultation and sensitivity to the realities teachers face on the ground.
The MP was particularly critical of the practice of placing JSS teachers under the supervision of primary school Heads of Institution (HOIs), many of whom, he said, hold lower academic qualifications than the teachers they are expected to supervise.
He told the gathering that it made little sense for university degree holders to be answerable to administrators with diploma or certificate-level qualifications.
According to Barasa, the arrangement has bred resentment and an inferiority complex among some HOIs, leading to strained relationships and, in some cases, open hostility toward JSS teachers.
He noted that tensions are often fueled by minor issues, including language proficiency, and are negatively affecting staff morale in schools.
Welfare concerns
Barasa further argued that the welfare of JSS teachers has been neglected under the current setup.
Some teachers, he claimed, are struggling to afford basic needs because they have not been fully integrated into the primary school system and are excluded from key budgetary considerations.
For teachers entrusted with shaping the future of learners, he said, such conditions were unacceptable and reflected broader challenges in the management of the transition to Junior Secondary School.
Call for representation at TSC
The MP also criticized the Teachers Service Commission, arguing that it had failed from the outset by appointing commissioners who had never taught in a classroom.
He said the Commission could not fully understand the challenges facing teachers without firsthand teaching experience, adding that this gap was evident in some of the policies being implemented.
To address the issue, Barasa called for inclusive representation of JSS teachers within the Commission, drawing a parallel with the Parliamentary Service Commission where Members of Parliament have direct representation in decisions affecting them.
He maintained that teachers should not have policies imposed on them without having a voice in the decision-making process.
School infrastructure development
On matters of development, Barasa highlighted projects implemented in Kimilili through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
He noted that several schools had benefited from the construction of classrooms, laboratories and sanitation facilities.
The legislator pledged to continue investing in educational infrastructure with the goal of modernizing all schools in the constituency within the next few years.
According to Barasa, learners cannot be expected to excel in environments that are dilapidated and poorly equipped.
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The meeting concluded with teachers expressing appreciation for the MP’s support and pledging to continue engaging leaders in pursuit of reforms aimed at improving their professional standing and welfare.
By Our Reporter
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