By Azael Masese
The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) is in the process of expanding the list of administrative positions to include that of talent management.
TSC Deputy CEO Simon Kavisi said that they are developing a policy that will herald the creation of the department to be headed by a teacher.
“We are very serious on talent management and will have a teacher appointed to be in charge of the department,” he said.
Consequently, the commission will be keen to have teachers who assist learners participate actively in music, drama, and other extra-curricular activities appointed as heads.
It comes at a time when the Competence Based Curriculum encourages teachers to identify the learners’ intrinsic talents, besides passing examinations.
This is a departure from the past when excellence in academics was given top priority and numerous resources pumped into it.
Administrative positions in Kenya’s primary and secondary schools set-ups include that of senior teacher II, Senior teacher I, Deputy Head teacher, and Head teacher.
The positions, which are competitively filled, also include that of the Senior Head teacher, Deputy Principal, Principal, Senior Principal, Senior Master and Senior Mistress.
TSC Director Teacher Management Mary Rotich noted that the policy aims to recognise and award principals and teachers who are talented in music, drama and other extra-curricular activities.
She said that this is to institutionalise the process and motivate teachers talented in the disciplines to take an active role in moulding their learners in different fields
With this, the Government has also taken up financing learners to participate in the activities from the zonal, regional and national levels.
In second term, an estimated Sh1 billion has been allocated to finance secondary schools sports and music activities scheduled for second term.
The budget that was slashed from the Free Secondary Education kitty offers a sigh of relief to parents who have been in the past paid for their children to participate in the activities.
Out of this, 30 per cent of the money, which translates to Sh300 million will go to finance the activities at the zonal level.
The remaining Sh700 million will finance the activities at the National and Regional activities.
In total, each student has been allocated Sh440.98. Out of this, Sh270.62 has been allocated per child at the national and regional level and the balance, Sh170.36 channeled to organise the extracurricular activities at the zonal level.
School heads cater for the transport of participating students, food, costumes and hiring of trainers.
The Government takes care of hiring of judges, organising the venue, security and accommodation in later stages of the competition.
School heads will be in charge of the budget at the zonal levels.
During second term, in the past, sports events were divided into two categories, namely Term Two A and Term Two B.
Term Two A events included rugby, netball, cross-country marathon, heptathlon, decathlon and soccer under 16. Term Two B incorporated football, volleyball and racket games.
The music festival is also part of the second term’s events. The activities are slated to kick off this month and end in August.
