Good news as TSC positively responds on fate of unemployed P1 teachers

Good news as TSC positively responds on fate of unemployed P1 teachers

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has finally responded on fate of thousands of teachers who successfully graduated with a PTE certificate but are yet to be employed by the Commission.

The Commission said whatever changes it is planning in the teaching profession will not be instantaneous as the changes are still debatable.

“Even if changes may come, they will be gradual. For now the issue is at debate level No final word yet,” said TSC on Facebook after inquiry.

Last week internet and social media was awash with disturbing news after it was revealed that TSC has no plans of employing P1 teachers in the near future.

In the plan contained in the Programme-Based Budget 2021, TSC will employ 15,000 secondary school teachers starting this financial year.

The Commission said it will employ at least 5,000 teachers annually in the next three years to curb looming crisis in secondary schools.

TSC however, says it has no plans to recruit primary school tutors, throwing into uncertainty the fate of thousands of unemployed P1 certificate holders. 

According to TSC Primary schools will not get new teachers as the phasing out of the 8-4-4 system is expected to reduce the workload since learners will move to secondary school after Grade Six under the competency-based curriculum (CBC).

Primary school teachers, it said, will be employed through replacements after serving as interns.

TSC said it will engage the services of 5,500 interns on a one-year contract every year to plug staffing gaps in schools.

However only 2,000 interns will be posted to primary schools each year.

There are currently at least 300,000 p1 teachers yet to be absorbed into TSC payroll.

TSC has been allocated Sh281.7 billion for the 2021/22 financial year, up from the Sh266 billion it got in the current year.

Details of the plans are contained in the Programme-Based Budget 2021 estimates that also confirm TSC as one of the largest beneficiaries of funding from the exchequer.

TSC has been allocated Sh281.7 billion for the 2021/22 financial year, up from the Sh266 billion it got in the current year.

The commission has over the years struggled to address staffing shortages in schools and even with the recruitment of teachers, it will still be way short of optimal levels.

In the recent past, staff pay has taken up 99.4 per cent of the money received by TSC.

Curiously, the commission does not make reference to any provision for a new pay deal with the teachers.

TSC plans to deploy the 5,000 teachers to secondary schools as the institutions are expected to face a bigger shortage.

Some 3,500 interns will also be posted to secondary schools. The same number of interns will be engaged in each of the next two years.

This leaves thousands of unemployed teachers who hold the P1 certificate in uncertainty as the government is also doing away with the qualification.

Teacher training colleges will from this year launch a three-year diploma course in teacher education that is aligned to the CBC.

For tertiary institutions, only 67 tutors will be hired during the financial year and 68 others the following year.

The internship programme was started in 2019. Many enlist in the hope of landing permanent jobs when vacancies are announced.

A primary school intern gets a monthly stipend of Sh15,000 while a secondary school one is given Sh20,000.

There will be a double intake in January 2023 when the first CBC cohort transitions to junior secondary school while the last 8-4-4 pupils – currently in Std Five – will also report for Form One.

Secondary schools will have five classes instead of four that year. 

When the CBC is fully implemented, secondary schools will have six classes – three for junior and three for senior – while primary schools will have two less than the current eight.

Teachers’ unions have not engage the employer for a new collective bargaining agreement even though the 2017-2021 one expires in a month.

The commission estimates that over the next three years, some Sh273 billion would be required in 2021/22, Sh274.7 billion in 2022/23 and Sh279.3 billion in 2023/24 financial years to pay teachers.

Read below on TSC guidelines for employing primary school teachers on permanent terms;

GUIDELINES FOR RECRUITMENT OF TEACHERS – PRIMARY SCHOOLS 2020/2021

1.0       GENERAL INFORMATION

(a)      Following the advertisement for recruitment of teachers for Primary schools, you are required  to conduct a selection exercise for candidates wishing to be  employed and submit the County Merit List to  the TSC Headquarters. The list should be ratified by the County Selection  Panel.

(b)      The selection panel will be expected to exercise the highest degree of transparency and  accountability, as stipulated in the Public Officers Ethics Act and TSC Code of Conduct and  Ethics (2015).

The TSC County Director is expected to induct members of the County Selection Panel on the relevant  Sections of the Act and the CORT 2015 before the commencement of the selection exercise.

(c)      The TSC County Director MUST ensure that the recruitment process is done in strict adherence to the laid down protocols by the Ministry of Health on containment of COVID-19 pandemic.

(d)      All applicants must be registered teachers as per Section  23(1) of the Teachers Service Commission Act,  2012.  

Applicants who are not registered do not qualify to be recruited.

(e)      Applicants who apply tor confirmation of results from KNEC should give the address of the County  Director where  they submitted  their application.  

It is their  responsibility to  ensure  that  the  results  are received within 14 days after the verification of certificates.

(f)       Applicants whose names differ in the certificates and/or identity card  are required  to present sworn affidavit on the differences in names.

(g)      Applicants who re-sat either KCPE or KCSE examinations (or their equivalents)  MUST present  certified copies of  the  certificate(s) of the national examination(s) in question for all attempts.

(h)      Applicants will be required to submit their applications  to  the  Secretary Teachers Service Commission through online platform www.teacheronline.tsc.go.ke for the  county  where  a vacancy has  been declared.

(i)        System  generated  Merit  List  will  be  sent  to  the  County   Director.  Upon receipt  of  the  Merit  List,  the  County Director  shall  share  with  the  Sub County Directors.  

Sub County Directors shall use the Merit List to communicate selection date and venue  in consultation with the  County Director.

(j)        During  the  selection, each  applicant shall be given   a serial number.

Applicants  must  present original  and  legible  photocopies  of the following, among  other relevant documents:-

i)         National identification  card

ii)      National  Council  of  Persons  with  Disability   (NCPWD)   Card  (where applicable);

iii)      KCPE  certificate  or its  equivalent   (include  certificates  for attempts  if one repeated exams);

iv)     KCSE certificates  or its  equivalent  (include  certificates for attempts if one repeated exams);

v)      PTE  certificate;

vi)     Certificate of Registration as a teacher

vii)    Evidence of service as a teacher intern  (where applicable);

viii)   Sworn    Affidavit    where    names    appearing    on    the    submitted documents differ;

ix)     Primary   and   Secondary   Schools   leaving   certificates   and   other relevant testimonials.

(k)      All applicants, irrespective of gender, disability, ethnicity  or Home County should    be    given    equal   opportunity.    However,   in   case   of   a   tie, consideration will  be given on the following  aspects in their order of priority:

i)     Applicant (s)  with disability(ies);

ii)   Service as a teacher intern;

iii)   Applicants who had    not   been  previously employed  by the Commission;

iv)  Attainment of highest grade  in Teaching  Practice;

v)   Give preference to applicants who graduated earlier;

vi)  Quality  of  certificates  presented  i.e.  higher  aggregate KCSE  grade should  first be considered.

(I)           The selection date  and  venue  must be displayed on notice boards at the County, Sub-County and Zonal offices at  least seven (7) days before  the selection  exercise.

(m)     The  selection  panel  shall  vet each applicant  to establish  if  he/she  meets the requirements of the TSC advertisement.

(n)      Applicants who were   previously  employed by the Commission   MUST declare their past employment  history  and  reason(s)  for break  in  service (with   evidence  in   break   in  service).   Applicants  who   were   previously employed by the Commission and  FAIL to declare  their past employment shall be disqualified. However, preference will be given  to applicants who have  never been employed  by the Commission.

2.0.     SUB COUNTY SELECTION PANEL

i.TSC Sub County Director–         Chairperson
ii.TSC Sub County Human Resource Officer–         Secretary
iii.Zonal Curriculum Support Officers (2)–         Members
TOTAL 4

The sub-county Director MUST ensure that the Ministry of Health COVID-19 containment  measures are adhered to  by both  panel   members and the applicants at all times.

3.0     VERIFICATION  EXERCISE

i.      The TSC  Sub County Director shall verify the TSC  registration  status  of  all applicants;

ii.       The  TSC  Sub  County  Director  shall  present  a  list  of  all  applicants  to  the Selection  Panel;

iii.      Applicants  must  appear in  person  before  the  Selection  Panel  on  the  set date.

3.1  AUTHENTICATION OF ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL DOCUMENTS

a)  Original  academic  and  professional  certificates  shall  be scrutinized  to verify their authenticity.

b)  The TSC Sub County  Director shall certify photocopies of the certificates and other documents before forwarding  them to the TSC County  Director.

c)  Any applicant(s) who  present forged/fake academic, professional and  other documents   commit(s)   an   offence;   shall   be   disqualified   and   can    be deregistration in  accordance with  Code  of Regulations for Teachers  (CORT).

3.2     SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants shall be awarded marks as per the score sheet (Appendix  1 (a)  and 1(b).  Where applicants tie in scores, the panel shall refer to (k)  of these guidelines.

4.0     DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO TSC COUNTY DIRECTOR

The Sub  County  Selection  Panel shall be required to submit the following  to the TSC County  Director:

i.        List of all applicants who presented  documents for verification  at the Sub County  level (Appendix II);

ii.      Sub  County  Merit List (Appendix III);

iii.      Summary of complaints raised(if any)  together with  action taken;

iv.      Minutes of the Sub-County Selection  Panel duly signed  by the Chairperson and Secretary.

4.1      COUNTY SELECTION  PANEL

a)       After  submission  of  Merit  Lists  by  the  Sub  County Directors,  TSC  County Director shall constitute a selection panel  comprising the   following members;

i.TSC  County  DirectorChairperson
ii.TSC  Deputy County  DirectorSecretary
iii.County  Human  Resource OfficerMember
iv.TSC Sub County  DirectorMember
 TOTAL4

The  County  Director   MUST  ensure  that  the  Ministry   of  Health  COVID-19 containment measures  are adhered to by panel members.

b)       The  TSC  County  Director  shall  be  required  to convene  a County  Panel  to ratify Sub County Merit Lists for onward  submission to the TSC  Headquarters within the stipulated timeline.

c)       The  selected  applicants  from  the  Merit  List  shall  correctly  fill   the  TSC Application for Employment Form  (APPT  1) without erasing or defacing it.

d)        The Merit List compiled during  the  selection  process  at  the  beginning  of the   financial  year  shall be used in subsequent recruitments within the financial year. Selected applicants shall be informed through the Short Message Service  (SMS).

NB:  It is the responsibility of the TSC County Director to ensure that the exercise  is fair and  transparent.  

The County Director must also  ensure that all documents are in order and appropriately signed/certified before submitting them to the TSC Headquarters.

5.0     COMPLAINTS

a)      Any applicant who  is  dissatisfied with the  exercise should submit to the TSC   County   Director  a  written  complaint  immediately  and  send  an email to the TSC Headquarters through, dirtm@tsc.go.ke  not later than seven (7) days after the selection  exercise;

b)      The TSC County  Director should, within  seven (7)  days  analyze and address all complaints raised after the selection process has been completed and  thereafter submit a report to the Headquarters on the action  taken.

c)      Where the complaint is made against the TSC County Director, the TSC Headquarters  shall  investigate the allegations and take appropriate action.

6.0    DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO TSC HEADQUARTERS

The TSC County Director shall submit the following to the TSC Headquarters;

i.     County Selection Panel minutes duly signed by the Chairperson and Secretary;

ii.    Current Merit List (Appendix IV)

iii.   List of all selected  applicants drawn  from the current merit list (Appendix V)

iv.  List of all invited applicants who did not appear for verification  (Appendix Vl);

v.   List of applicants with special needs (Appendix VII)

vi.  Duly filled Application for Employment Forms (APPT I) for the selected applicants;

vii. Original statement of confirmation of PTE/KCSE/KCPE results from KNEC for applicants without original certificates;

viii. Certified copies of the following  documents in the order indicated below:

a)  National identification card;

b)  National Council of Persons with Disability (NCPWD) Card (where applicable):

c)  Two passport size photographs;

d)  KCPE  (or its  equivalent) Certificate (include certificates for attempts if one repeated exams);

e)   KCSE  (or its  equivalent) Certificates  (include  certificate  for attempts  if one repeated exams);

f)    PTE Certificate;

g)  Certificate of registration as a teacher;

h)   Evidence of service under Internship programme (where applicable);

i)      Primary and Secondary Schools and college leaving certificates and other testimonials;

j)    Sworn Affidavit  where  names  appearing on the  submitted  documents differ;

k)   KRA PIN certificate, Bank form and  Bank plate to facilitate appointment on payroll.

vii)       Written commitment  by the applicant to serve in any county posted to, for a minimum period of five (5) years, and  three (3) years in  case of  North Eastern region;

viii)      Panel score sheet (Appendix I)  both in soft (excel) via ddstaffingp@tsc.go.ke  and hard copy  for the selected applicants;

7.0     IMPORTANT NOTES

a)  Merit Lists shall  be made available to members of public wishing to see them on request in a manner  that will not put the recruitment process into jeopardy.

b)  Under no circumstances should the Application for Employment Form be defaced or photocopied for use.

c)  All enquiries arising from these guidelines should be made to the TSC County Director.

d) Notwithstanding the decentralization of  the function of teacher’s recruitment pursuant to Section 20 of the TSC  Act, the Commission is not precluded from carrying out recruitment directly  from  the TSC Headquarters.

8.0      Attached find the following  Appendices;

a)  Appendix    I         (a):

b)  Appendix     1       (b):

c)  Appendix   II:

d)  Appendix   Ill:

Panel Score Sheet for primary school teachers.

Panel Score Sheet for primary school teachers living with disabilities.

Sub County Registration list  of  applicants who present documents for verification. Sub County Merit List.

 e)Appendix IV:County Merit List
f)Appendix V:List of selected applicants
g)Appendix VI:List of applicants who did not appear for verification
h)Appendix VII:List of applicants with special needs.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Click here to download full guidelines for recruitment of primary school teachers with score sheets

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