As Kenya’s education system accelerates its shift toward digital learning under Competency-Based Education (CBE), a growing number of teachers serving as school ICT champions are now demanding formal recognition, promotions, and structured career progression from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The teachers argue that while schools increasingly rely on digital systems for learning, assessment, reporting, and administration; the educators driving these systems remain largely unrecognized despite carrying expanded responsibilities far beyond normal classroom teaching.
Across public schools, particularly in rural and under-resourced institutions, ICT Champions have become the unofficial technical backbone of education. Besides teaching full academic timetables, they are expected to troubleshoot computer and printer failures, maintain school networks, install software, manage digital records, support online assessments, and train fellow teachers on ICT integration.
What was once considered an additional skill has now evolved into a demanding parallel role.
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Many teachers say the pressure has intensified as schools adopt more technology-driven learning approaches. In some institutions, a single teacher handles nearly all digital operations, forcing them to constantly alternate between classroom instruction and technical support duties.
A lesson may be interrupted by a failed projector, a printer breakdown during examinations, or system errors affecting learner reports—placing ICT Champions at the centre of crisis management in schools.
Despite the growing dependence on their expertise, teachers say there is still no clear national framework defining ICT Champion positions, no reduced workload, and no promotion structure tied to digital leadership responsibilities.
The educators are now calling on TSC to establish formal ICT coordination roles in schools and promote qualified ICT Champions to higher job groups that reflect their expanded responsibilities.
Among the proposals being pushed by teachers are:
Formal recognition of ICT Champions in all schools
Creation of structured promotion pathways linked to ICT leadership
Reduced teaching loads for designated ICT coordinators
Introduction of ICT responsibility allowances
Continuous TSC-supported digital training and certification
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Teachers argue that Kenya’s digital learning agenda risks slowing down if the current system continues relying on overworked educators without institutional support.
Education stakeholders warn that failure to address the issue could lead to burnout among ICT Champions, reduced reliability of school digital systems, and declining morale among teachers tasked with sustaining digital learning infrastructure.
“In many schools, the absence or transfer of a single ICT Champion can paralyze critical operations such as online assessments, report generation, and digital classroom activities.”
As CBE continues to deepen the use of digital platforms in teaching and assessment, pressure is mounting on education authorities to align staffing structures with the realities of modern learning environments.
For many ICT Champions, the issue is no longer simply about extra work—it is about professional recognition, fairness, and ensuring the sustainability of Kenya’s education digitization programme.
Their message to TSC is increasingly clear: digital transformation in schools cannot succeed without investing in the teachers quietly powering it behind the scenes.
By Hillary Muhalya
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