Teachers deserve to know their promotion interview scores

As the September/October 2026 teachers' promotion interviews approach their conclusion, concerns are emerging among teachers regarding the lack of access to their individual interview scores, with many questioning why candidates are not routinely informed of the marks they obtain after being assessed. Some teachers have expressed concern that candidates who score lower marks could have a greater chance of being promoted than those who perform better in the interviews. While such claims require evidence and should not be treated as facts, they demonstrate the importance of providing clear information about how promotion decisions are reached.

Promotion represents years of professional commitment, experience, sacrifice and service to learners for many teachers, making it reasonable for them to seek information about the marks they receive during these interviews. Providing candidates with their individual scores would help them understand how they were assessed and whether the established criteria were applied consistently, and where teachers believe promotion decisions do not reflect their interview performance, access to their scores would provide a factual basis for seeking clarification rather than relying on speculation or rumours. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should consider addressing these concerns by communicating clearly about the assessment process and explaining how interview performance relates to final promotion decisions.

An important distinction must be made, however: performing well in an interview does not automatically guarantee promotion if other legitimate requirements also apply, since promotion decisions may depend on established criteria, available vacancies, qualifications, experience and performance. Where interview marks contribute to the selection process, teachers should be able to understand how those marks are awarded and how they influence the final decision. If a candidate who scores highly is unsuccessful while another with a lower score is promoted, there should be a clear, lawful and objective explanation consistent with the applicable promotion criteria. The issue is not whether every teacher must be promoted, but whether every teacher is assessed fairly and whether promotion decisions can withstand reasonable scrutiny.

Teachers are expected to demonstrate integrity, professionalism and accountability in their daily duties, including ensuring that learners are assessed fairly, and the same principles should guide the institutions responsible for managing teachers' careers. Keeping candidates uninformed about their performance can create frustration, discourage professional development and undermine confidence in the promotion system.

The Commission should consider adopting or strengthening clear procedures for communicating individual interview scores to teachers following promotion interviews. These should include disclosing individual scores to candidates, setting out clear assessment criteria, explaining how interview scores and other factors influence the outcome, providing a review mechanism for teachers to raise concerns about errors or inconsistencies, and ensuring promotion criteria are applied consistently and fairly to all eligible candidates. 

Such measures would help build trust between teachers and the Commission while strengthening public confidence in the management of the teaching profession.

As the September/October 2026 promotion interviews draw to a close, the Commission has an opportunity to address these concerns by communicating clearly about the assessment process and the availability of individual scores, helping dispel unfounded rumours and reinforce the principle that professional advancement should be based on fair and consistently applied criteria. Transparency must not be optional; it must be an essential part of a credible promotion system.