The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will promote school administrators it issued with regret letters in August 2023.
An insider has revealed that TSC has no other option left but to promote them because of huge number of schools lacking headteachers/principals, deputies and senior teachers/masters as well as the recent and upcoming mass retirements.
The Commission issued the teachers with regret letters but left a room for them to re-apply in future promotion adverts.
Some of those issued with regret letters, were deputy headteachers acting as headteachers and were seeking to be confirmed.
Many however lacked the degree certificate which the Commission prioritizes for those seeking headship position.
As of July 2023 TSC data showed that 3,359 public schools did not have head teachers.
Some 1,918 public primary schools did not have head teachers while another 1,441 secondary schools did not have principals.
Cumulatively, some 3,359 public primary and secondary schools did not have the much-needed institutional leadership at a time when the government is rolling out critical reforms in the education sector.
However the Commission advertised 14,738 teacher promotions to fill up the vacancies.
It called for applications in January this year, then March and another in May after failing to attract the required number of applicants.
A good number of those who attended interviews in March in their counties were posted to schools during second school term.
The successful teachers were posted to schools outside their sub counties but within their counties.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia has been faulting teachers for missing out on promotions and for their own stagnation.
She accused teachers of not being willing to apply for promotion opportunities in other counties.
In an address to primary headteachers during the 20th Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) Conference in Mombasa this week, Macharia said that the government has set aside sh 1 billion in the financial year 2023/2024 for promotion of 36,505 teachers.
She said the Commission will conduct interviews to fill 36,505 vacancies it advertised in September this year. Of these 17,914 posts will to go to primary school staff.
She lamented over the failure of teachers to turn out for the interviews, a factor she observes has starved schools with low numbers of teachers, putting pressure on the teachers already employed by TSC.
“I wish to inform you that, in the past, the Commission has failed to attract enough applicants for promotional positions even after lowering the requirements. This is more prevalent in Special Needs Education where we are having a serious shortage. I wish to encourage those who have been invited for the interviews from 4th December 2023 to ensure that they attend without failure. Please encourage your teachers not to shy off from taking up responsibilities,” she stated.
TSC Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) states that a teacher cannot skip a job group in any form of teacher promotion.
Below are the adverts made by TSC in September from lowest to highest for regular and special need institutions.
- ADVERT NO. 62/2023 (C1-C2): SENIOR TEACHER II (SNE PRIMARY SCHOOL) – T- SCALE 7 -700 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 61/2023(C1-C2): SENIOR TEACHER II (REGULAR PRIMARY SCHOOL) – T-SCALE 7 -10,819 POSTS
- ADVERT NO.60/2023(C2-C3): SENIOR TEACHER I (SNE PRIMARY SCHOOL) – T- SCALE 8 – 346 POSTS
- ADVERT NO.59/2023 (C2-C3): SENIOR TEACHER I (REGULAR PRIMARY SCHOOL– T-SCALE 8 – 3,040 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 58/2023(C3-C4): DEPUTY HEAD TEACHER II (REGULAR PRIMARY SCHOOL) T-SCALE 9 – 1,930 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 57/2023(C4-C5): HEAD TEACHER (SNE PRIMARY SCHOOL) T-SCALE 10 – 30 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 56/2023(C4-C5): HEAD TEACHER (REGULAR PRIMARY SCHOOL), T- SCALE 10 – 1049 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 55/2023(C2-C3): SECONDARY TEACHER I (REGULAR SCHOOL), T- SCALE 8 – 1928 POSTS
- ADVERT NO.54/2023(C3-C4): SENIOR MASTER IV (REGULAR SCHOOL), T-SCALE9 -12,716POSTS
- ADVERT NO.53/2023(C3-C4): SENIOR LECTUTER IV (TTC) T-SCALE 9 – 216 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 52/2023(C4-C5): SENIOR MASTER III (REGULAR SCHOOL) T-SCALE-10 – 1142 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 51/2023(C5-D1): DEPUTY PRINCIPAL III (REGULAR SECONDARY SCHOOL) T-SCALE 11 – 1057 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 50/2023(D1-D2): SENIOR LECTURER I T-SCALE 12 – 72 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 49/2023(D1-D2): DEPUTY PRINCIPAL II (REGULAR SECONDARY SCHOOL) T-SCALE 12 – 547 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 48/2023(D2-D3): PRINCIPAL (REGULAR SECONDARY SCHOOL) T-SCALE 13 – 541 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 47/2023(D3 –D4): SENIOR PRINCIPAL (REGULAR SECONDARY SCHOOL) T-SCALE 14 – 108 POSTS
- ADVERT NO. 46/2023(D4-D5): CHIEF PRINCIPAL (REGULAR SECONDARY SCHOOL) T-SCALE 15 –34 POSTS
I applied for the advertised TSCPromotions but up to date i have not recieved any notification,hence worried coz i have been in C3 for 12 years, any explanation is welcomed
Am among those who received the regret letters after the interviews for may 2023 as a senior teacher and in our school we don’t have senior teacher acting as deputy head please tsc consider those regret letters
Chieth guok
Why don’t Tsc promote teachers based on years of working service because some teachers end up in the same grade upto retirement
Seconded Mr Rono
I was promoted to C4 since June and my salary has never been effected…what might be the problem?
I have been a deputy headteacher since 2017. Some senior teachers who were behind me are now headteachers of primary schools , I received 3 regrets , at 2019,2021 and recent august 2023. I have attended interviews 3 times yet this senior teachers have just attended once and are headteachers. Tsc you should explain.criteria you use ,if it’s experience in leadership I have it,I have a degree in philosophy.