The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will make major changes before releasing a new teacher promotion advert after the earlier one was cancelled. The advert had 14,738 promotion vacancies.
The Commission has in the last two weeks appeared before the National Assembly Education and Research Committee two times.
MPs were not pleased with failure by the commission to promote teachers who have remained in the same job group for years.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Chairman Omboko Milemba backed the cancellation and asked the TSC to increase the number of vacancies.
He added that very many deserving teachers would be left out. He termed the plan a mockery to teachers, especially those in job groups C2, C3 and C4.
“People deserving promotion are not the target of the advertisement. These are teachers in C3 and C4 job groups. It is a drop in the ocean,” Mr Milemba said.
According to the advertisement, most of the positions would have gone to primary schools, with just 3,392 secondary school slots.
Since the Wednesday advertisement, the social media has been awash with protests of teachers being given a raw deal.
Some primary school teachers who were left out like B5 and C1 said there promotion should be automatic upto job group C2.
They wondered why TSC created two senior teacher position i.e C2 and C3 which represent senior teacher II and I.
Senior teachers in job group C2 also complained that moving to C3 was a hectic move. It appeared the teachers must first complete at least three years in C2 before they can be considered for promotion to C3.
The advertised promotion vacancies arose from retirements, resignations or deaths. Many teachers have also been holding managerial positions in acting capacity.
Mr Milemba blamed the commission for not promoting teachers, thus making them lose benefits.
He said that his office is working on data to establish the extent of the problem and what teachers are owed. He put the figure at more than Sh1 billion.
“This is a pending bill that’s not qualified. It is exploitation of labour by the TSC and government. I’ve put a question in Parliament but I’m doing research with my office staff to back the numbers up. It’s become impossible to be promoted unless you’re in administration,” the Emuhaya MP said.
Nairobi Kuppet Branch Secretary-General Moses Mbora said stagnating in one grade for long has demotivated teachers.
“C3 grade is where teachers have stagnated most. Slots were advertised for D4 grade yet there are many principals in D3 who deserve promotion. Principals were interviewed for promotion to D4 grade in April but nothing happened. We’ve seen another advertisement and their positions are not mentioned,” Mr Mbora said.
He added that having many principals and chief principals and failing to promote deputies would create a succession crisis.
Mr Mbora said stagnating in a job group denies teachers benefits like enhanced medical cover.
“Such a teacher loses on better pension because it is pegged on basic pay,” Mr Mbora said.
He called for the abolition of the career progression guidelines TSC uses to promote teachers and revert to the schemes of service.
“The career progression guidelines are hurting teachers. There are too many salary points,” he said.
When commissioners officials appeared before the Education Committee, they were hard-pressed to explain why promotion has not been going on.
“The commission has not been granted additional budgetary allocations for the promotion of teachers for the past 10 years except in July 2017,” TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia said, adding that promotion is consequently based on vacancies arising from natural attrition.
And where is KNUT and oyuuuuuuuu
It’s absurd that the CEO Macharia doesn’t understand her mandatory obligation at the TSC.
Until unions and parliament has to come in for her lecture.
Running the mighty TSC on try & error basis should be a thing of the past.
Madam CEO, if you’ve lost directions for steering the teacher body, kindly give room for a more competent and focused citizen.
It will pay because the more you stay in the office the worse the things happen.
REPENT NOW OR SAY BYE
Ruto needs to cleanse tsc immediately before the country is plunged into very deep confusion in the education sector
The tsc should give acting allowance to all acting adminstrators to boost their morale as they act
Tsc should streamline its services to motivate teachers.How can a teacher act for close to two years without any incentive.It is quite unfair
Diploma teachers are the worst hit group in the confusion of the tsc. Most of them have stayed for over 22 years without promotion : so sad and demoralizing.
Tsc acting administrators be given allowance,tired of big title s with no value.Thanks
Diploma teachers are the worst hit group in the confusion of tsc. Most of them have stayed for over 20 years without promotion : so sad and demoralizing.
Diploma teachers are the worst hit group in the confusion of tsc. Most of them have stayed for over 20 years without promotion : so sad and demoralizing.
People with same certificate and experience.Employed same year and month.both primary trs.One earning 90,000+and another 30,000+.Diff 90,000-30,000=paining
Some teachers have been stagnant in C3for more than 10years only thename was changed from Lto c3
Promotion was stopped in 2014 for those who went for further education now the tsc is talking about tpad to be promoted some of us don’t hold any administrative post it means we shall remain in the same grade? God hear our prayers
Who will rescue a kenyan teacher?? Especially in grade B5 and C1???We have stagnated for long.
What is the fate of teachers still teaching in primary schools with the required qualifications in KCSE? Will we be moved to teach in junior secondary schools? How is our deployment come January 2023?? The recent advert was for recruitment of teachers and internships.What about deployment of teachers?
IT’S LONG OVER DUE. . THE TSC SHOULD STOP BEING THE TEACHERS SUFFERING CENTRE
REINSTATE THE PREVIOUS TEACHERS GRADING TO CLEAR THE CONFUSION AMONGST PI’S DIPLOMAS DEGREES
MASTERS AND PHD HOLDERS PAY THEM THEIR RIGHTS
How much I wish TSC would revert to sogomo promotion guidelines where a teacher would have risen to higher job groups upto R but still remain a motivated classroom teachwr.
How much I wish TSC would revert to sogomo promotion guidelines where a teacher would have risen to higher job groups upto R but still remain a motivated classroom teachwr.
This commission brought many salary points for teachers to bring confusion.Infact the salary for teachers cannot be compared to that of their counterparts in the mainstream public service.For example, a teacher at job group D5 which is presumed to be job group R reaches a maximum at ks 157000 while their equivalent in the mainstream civil service goes up to 167000.This is pure shortchanging.To remedy the situation let’s teachers salaries be pegged to those of other civil servants.
TSC is not serving teachers well and should be disbanded and all teachers be under public service commission
The TSC secretariat earns exponential salaries as compared to teachers who are the real workers. Surely this is very unfair.
Nowadays being a teacher is like one has committed a crime…..Most teachers are demoralized to the point that if one gets a plan B you just quit!……… Those responsible with all the sufferings and teachers mistreatment should go back to the drawing board and make paths straight.May God remember Kenyan teachers🙏🙏
Teachers are suffering they are unable to meet their basic needs due to poor pay.a Kenyan teacher is forgotten hero more so a primary teacher in Job grp B5,C1&C2,
Just one woman who confuses everything in TSC.Diminishes any thing that would accrue to ateacher.Her exit is the only solution.The earlier the better.
TSC should not subject deserving teachers to interview.Let the commission promote teachers after every 3 years as it was.The interviews are too costly and one ends up loosing the game. Too embarrassing.Have done interviews many times seeking to move from C3 to C4 but all in vain.Am 5 years to retire someone to come our rescue .
Its truly in human to subject one to labour exploitation. Teachers have acted responsibly for over ten years without recognition. Tsc and the government of Kenya should put a human face and considere their face.