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SNE teachers are poised to benefit from improved promotion and career growth opportunities following a new agreement between KUSNET and TSC under the revised 2026 Career Progression Guidelines.
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The new framework introduces clearer promotion pathways, incorporates KISE and KIB lecturers as well as SNE Curriculum Support Officers into TSC grading structures, and allows teachers to advance either through classroom teaching or school administration up to the highest grade of Teacher 1.
Special Needs Education (SNE) teachers across the country are set to benefit from enhanced career progression opportunities following a landmark agreement between the Kenya Union for Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) under the revised 2026 Career Progression Guidelines (CPG).
The new guidelines, which are set to replace the widely criticized 2018 CPG framework, were agreed upon during a signing ceremony held at TSC headquarters on June 18, 2026.
The revised document has since been forwarded to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for job evaluation before implementation.
One of the key achievements in the revised guidelines is the inclusion of lecturers at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) and the Kenya Institute for the Blind (KIB) under TSC Grades 5 to 1. Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) in Special Needs Education have also been incorporated into the grading structure for the first time, under TSC Grades 3 to 1.
KUSNET Secretary-General James Torome hailed the agreement as a significant victory for SNE teachers, saying it addresses shortcomings that existed in the 2018 framework.
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“The 2018 Career Progression Guidelines are now behind us. KUSNET appreciates the Teachers Service Commission for agreeing to rectify the gaps that affected Special Needs Education teachers. Under the revised 2026 CPG, all SNE teachers in both primary and secondary schools will have a clear career path from Teacher 5 to Teacher 1, the highest level equivalent to a Chief Principal or Director,” said Torome.
He explained that the revised framework provides two distinct career progression pathways. Teachers can either remain in classroom instruction and advance through the ranks from Teacher 9, the entry level, to Teacher 1, the highest grade, or pursue school administration roles and rise to the level of Chief Principal while earning facilitation allowances.
Torome noted that administrators will also retain the flexibility to return to classroom teaching without losing their grade and continue advancing professionally.
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“The revised CPG 2026 documents have now been submitted to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission for job evaluation. We encourage all teachers to provide their views and proposals when SRC officials conduct the evaluation exercise,” he said.
The revised guidelines are expected to significantly improve career mobility, recognition, and professional growth opportunities for Special Needs Education teachers, a sector that has long sought equitable treatment within the teaching service.
By Roy Hezron
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