New Teacher Career Progression Guidelines await SRC approval, says Ruto

New career progression guidelines for teachers have been finalised following consultations between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and teachers' unions and are now awaiting approval by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

President William Ruto announced the development on Monday during World Teachers' Day celebrations at Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi, saying the review was part of commitments he made to teachers last year. "First, the TSC and your unions have finalised consultations on the new career progression guidelines. They are now awaiting approval by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission," Ruto said.

The President said the review was one of three specific commitments he made to teachers during last year's World Teachers' Day celebrations. The other commitments were to double the budget for teacher promotions from Sh1 billion to Sh2 billion and increase the number of teachers promoted every year. He said the government had fulfilled the second commitment by raising the promotion budget to Sh2 billion, and had acted on the third by directing TSC to increase promotion opportunities from the initially advertised 34,016 to 50,000.

Ruto said 126,462 teachers had been promoted since his administration took office, but acknowledged that many had remained in the same job grades for too long, with some spending decades waiting for opportunities to advance their careers. The new guidelines are expected to address career progression within the teaching service and give teachers clearer opportunities to grow, specialise and take up leadership responsibilities.

The President said strengthening the teaching profession was not only about recruitment and remuneration but also about ensuring teachers could develop professionally throughout their careers. He challenged teachers to embrace continuous learning as the education system undergoes transformation under Competency-Based Education, saying more than 220,000 teachers had already been retooled for CBE, while an additional Sh952 million had been allocated for capacity development.

He said teacher professional development would become increasingly important as Kenya prepares learners for a technology-driven economy, and noted that institutions including the Kenya Education Management Institute, the Kenya Institute of Special Education and the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa would continue supporting teacher development. He urged teachers to become lifelong learners and master emerging digital tools.

The career progression guidelines will now require SRC approval before they can be implemented, setting the stage for a new framework for advancement within the teaching profession.