By Dennis Bett
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kitale has criticized the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for transferring teachers and Principals without consulting stakeholders, terming the move unfair and inhuman.
Bishop Maurice Crowley spoke during a thanks-giving ceremony at Sing’ore girls.
Crowley is also the acting Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret following the death of Bishop Cornelius Korir on October last year.
He said the recent transfer of secondary school heads was inhuman since the commission didn’t consider that the teachers have families and issues to deal with in their respective areas.
“I am not in opposition, neither I am in government to say these. Education is not to be decided by the people in Nairobi. The people down here must have a say,” Crowley said.
The cleric said the mass transfers of head teachers by the TSC in December last year was conducted hurriedly and that the teachers were not given adequate time to move to their new stations.
“I would ask the TSC to remember that these people are human beings and they must be treated in a humane way. If not, they will not deliver and the quality of education will be compromised,” Crowley said.
He added that some head teachers were given two days to move to their new stations saying that they were ambushed with the news of transfer.
The bishop said the transfers were communicated during the Christmas holidays when head teachers were spending time with their families.
“Giving teachers transfer letters during Christmas, and further giving them two or three days to leave their stations is inhumane,” he said.
Crowley accused the TSC of transferring head teachers in Catholic-sponsored schools from Eldoret and Kitale without consulting the church.
“They took away the best. I am not against the policy of transferring teachers, but it should be done in a different way,” he said.
