- A TSC field officer says Curriculum Support Officers are increasingly concerned about their career progression within the Commission.
- The officer argues that years of field experience and institutional knowledge should receive greater recognition during promotions.
- The commentary calls on TSC to provide CSOs with a clear and fair pathway for professional advancement.
The level of demoralisation among TSC field officers has reached an unprecedented height.
Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) are the people on the ground who carry the weight of curriculum implementation. They visit schools, support teachers, monitor curriculum delivery, mentor and coach teachers, interpret policy, compile reports and respond to emerging challenges in our schools. They are, in many ways, the eyes, ears and hands of the Commission at the grassroots.
It is therefore deeply disappointing that in the recent promotional interviews targeting TSC Assistant Directors in charge of Teacher Management, many experienced CSOs felt overlooked and excluded from an opportunity that would have recognised their years of field experience and institutional knowledge.
The concern among CSOs is not simply about promotion. It is about recognition, fairness and career progression.
Many field officers have accumulated years of practical experience dealing with teachers, schools, curriculum implementation and the day-to-day realities of education management. They have served the Commission diligently, often working under difficult conditions, travelling extensively and using their own resources to ensure that TSC programmes and policies are implemented effectively.
Yet, when opportunities for advancement arise, some CSOs feel that their experience and contribution are not receiving the recognition they deserve.
The situation becomes even more painful when officers with considerably less experience are perceived to be progressing ahead of those who have spent years serving at the field level.
What message does this send to the dedicated officers who have faithfully served the Commission for years?
Does field experience no longer count?
Does commitment to curriculum implementation have no bearing on career progression?
Are CSOs expected to continue carrying the heavy responsibility of supporting schools while remaining uncertain about their own professional advancement?
CSOs need a clear career pathway
The Commission needs to seriously reflect on the career progression and motivation of its field officers.
A demoralised workforce cannot deliver its best.
CSOs need to feel valued, recognised and given a clear and fair pathway for professional growth. Promotion should not only be viewed as filling vacancies; it should also be an opportunity to reward experience, competence, institutional knowledge and demonstrated commitment to service.
The current concerns among field officers should therefore not be dismissed as complaints. They should be treated as a wake-up call.
TSC has invested years in building the capacity and experience of its field officers. Losing their morale means losing an invaluable institutional resource.
The field officers are asking for fairness.
They are asking for recognition.
They are asking for a clear career path.
Above all, they are asking their employer to value the people who have consistently stood on the frontline of education service delivery.
TSC field officers deserve better. Their experience matters. Their contribution matters. Their future matters.
READ ALSO: 1,631 TSC promotions: The credibility test the Commission cannot afford to fail
Let the people who carry the Commission’s mandate on the ground also have a fair chance to rise.
By a Concerned TSC Field Officer
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