TSC urged to stop relying solely on KCSE grades in hiring teachers

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been called upon to reevaluate its teacher recruitment policy by emphasizing academic advancement instead of depending exclusively on KCSE grades.

As per the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), numerous qualified individuals are being unjustly excluded from the teaching profession, even though they have achieved higher academic qualifications such as degrees and master’s degrees.

KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu while speaking to Education News stated that the existing requirement, where a candidate must have attained at least a C (plain) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education to qualify for recruitment as a diploma teacher, is outdated and discriminatory towards those who have since improved their academic standing.

“Are you aware that some of our university lecturers received D+ (plus) grades in KCSE but advanced their education to become graduate lecturers? Honestly, TSC, why are you preventing teachers who achieved a C (plain) in KCSE, yet have graduated with a degree, from teaching Grades 7, 8, and 9? ” Oyuu questioned.

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He insisted that the highest educational level attained by an applicant should be the main factor considered during recruitment, highlighting that many teachers have made considerable sacrifices to elevate their qualifications while working.

“A teacher who chooses to enhance their qualifications makes significant sacrifices. It requires studying late into the night while continuing to teach students. We need to have an earnest discussion with TSC regarding this issue,” he said.

To support his argument, Oyuu cited the example of a professor who received a C- in KCSE but pursued further education abroad and is now a distinguished scholar in religious education and Kiswahili.

“He studied at Kampala International University in Uganda, later returned to Kenyatta University, and furthered his studies through online learning at a university in the United States. He has become a professor. So what should be considered? It is the final qualification, not the KCSE grade,” he asserted.

He contended that evaluating applicants based solely on their KCSE performance overlooks other essential factors that could have impacted a student’s results at the time.

“If that same teacher had attended a prestigious national school, they might have achieved an A,” he remarked.

Oyuu urged the Commission to reconsider its recruitment criteria and prioritize a teacher’s competency and most recent academic accomplishments, especially given the staffing issues in the education sector.

He disclosed that due to the teacher shortage, some teachers are mandated to manage over 100 students in a single class, far exceeding the suggested ratio.

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“This significantly surpasses the recommended teacher-to-learner ratio of 1:45 as established by UNESCO. We appeal to the Head of State, Dr. William Ruto, to assist in addressing this gap,” he said.

Also, the union leader encouraged Junior Secondary (JSS) teachers to foster collaboration with colleagues from primary schools, reminding them that all educators share a collective goal.
“We encourage our young men and women instructing in JS, which is located in primary schools, to keep in mind that a teacher is a teacher. Do not regard other teachers as lesser,” he stated.

TSC Recruitment has been filled with controversies with Politicians at the center of uneven distribution of employment letters.

By Brian Ndigo.