There is a looming management crisis in schools as positions recently advertised by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) remain vacant because teachers failed to apply for the promotions.
The promotions were advertised between January and March this year but did not attract interest from the right people, forcing the teacher employer to re-advertise in its May 25, 2023 notice accompanied by a kind invitation to teachers to apply.
The teachers’ indifference does not come as a surprise even in light of the rallying campaigns by their unions to have them, especially those who have stagnated on one job group for as long as ten years, get promoted.
If these senior positions are not filled, TSC might be forced to compromise on the standards and quality by taking in less qualified applicants to the detriment of learning in schools.
And now education stakeholders are urging the government to re-look into the promotion policy for teachers and create a favourable working environment to make school administrative positions more attractive and competitive.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu told Education News that the reasons why teachers are not rushing to occupy the positions is that they fear they might be delocalized.
Oyuu stated that the draconian policy that was repealed in September 2022 led to a drop in performance of many schools apart from causing families to break up.
“We are trying as much as possible so that TSC deploys the teachers in positions of responsibility where they are very close to their families,” said Oyuu.
Some of the teachers applied for the positions they were acting in but were not even considered, pointing to the frustrations that they face.
“We are telling TSC once one has graduated to a grade, pick that person. Do you know there are some who acted and they were not even accepted for interviews? Let TSC come out candidly enough to accept all those who had actually acted in those positions,” said Oyuu.
According to Oyuu, teachers say the positions are poisoned chalices used to punish teachers perceived either to be aggressive or stubborn.
Oyuu notes that the heads relay some negative information for TSC to help them get rid of these teachers, the best way being promotion.
“Teachers have become victims of circumstances. So, look no further for reasons teachers do not want to head schools. The TSC should clean up the policy on promotion and staffing of administrators to make the positions admirable and respected,” he said.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Narok Executive Secretary Charles Ng’eno said TSC should revise its rigid promotional policy, which does not favour majority of teachers.
“We have continuously asked TSC to promote teachers because that is what they want. So it is wrong to say that they have shunned these positions. The requirements that TSC has placed on those promotional positions are weird and beyond majority of the teachers,” Ng’eno told Education News in a recent interview.
According to Ng’eno, there are so many teachers who are ready to serve in those positions but because TSC has placed so many demands and requirements, teachers apply and don’t qualify.
He added that the many job groups created should be removed and the teacher career progression guidelines (CPG) should be discarded as they are the main cause of stagnation.
It was widely expected that the perks that come with the top positions would easily elicit a scramble for the slots when the Commission first advertised, but the latest re-advertisements for deputy principal, principal and chief principal positions in May was no different.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) Baringo chairman John Kipkapto blamed the Commission for not motivating teachers enough. He also sees a connection to inadequate funds, which are also disbursed late, making management of schools a headache.
“Politicians are branding teachers as bad people, even calling them thieves. It is no longer lucrative to be an administrator because of this stereotype, so teachers see it as better they teach and go home. Even those of us who are in management feel like leaving it; if we are given the opportunity to go back to class, everybody will go back,” he added.
The May 25, 2023 re-advertisement, which gave teachers 9 days to make applications online, targets to fill 3,995 positions for employment and promotion, and 3,313 for principals, deputy principals and deputy head teachers in secondary and primary schools.
Others are 360 Principal T-Scale 13 vacancies, implying that 250 positions had earlier been filled.
385 deputy principal posts were re-advertised after only 596 out of 981 positions were earlier occupied, as were 2,568 deputy head teacher vacancies (re-advertised), meaning only 5,174 were promoted from the target of 7,742.
A secondary school teacher who chose not to apply told Education News on condition of anonymity that school heads and other administrators face a myriad of challenges like pressing workload, timeline pressure, coping with the ever-changing dynamics in education, and inappropriate working conditions.
They attend many meetings organized by different stakeholders, apart from the fact that they are also classroom teachers.
Other factors he mentioned that frustrate the desire to take up administrative responsibilities include poor performance in national examinations, drugs menace, bulging classrooms, absenteeism, shortage of teachers and insufficient learning and teaching resources.
“Some support staff are incompetent, have low morale, negative attitude, and are occasionally planted by the community as informers. Most teachers may not aggressively take up administrative positions because they would wish to have their peace of mind,” said the teacher.
In their comfort zones, they prefer classroom teaching to the turmoil of headship as they wait for their hard earned retirement packages.
“Presently, we comprise a large number who have remained at the same grade for our peace of mind. Our colleagues who chose promotion were taken three grades up,” said a head teacher in a school in Manyatta Constituency, Embu County, who spoke to Education News.
By Roy Hezron
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