Teachers and TSC at crossroads over criteria used in promotions as wrangles in leadership at Junior secondary continues.

Secretary General Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers

Teachers in secondary schools have protested what they call the Teachers Service Commission’s skewed promotion criteria.

The tutors want their employer, through the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers, to review the formula for promoting teachers to ensure that it benefits teachers of all cadres.

The union specifically requests that the deployment of teachers to Junior Secondary Schools be reviewed in order to place more teachers in secondary schools in charge of Grade 7 students.

According to Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori, teachers in secondary schools should have been considered first for promotion to handle Junior Secondary Schools.

“Such promotions have mutually beneficial benefits and may serve as a motivator for teachers to handle the challenging Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) with a high level of engagement and a positive attitude,” he said.

According to Misori, thousands of secondary school teachers appear to have been overlooked, with priority given to diploma and graduate teachers working in primary schools.

“Promoting high school teachers will help grade 7 students transition smoothly,” he said.

At the same time, Misori stated that the majority of high school teachers have been stuck in the same job groups for years.

He requested that TSC provide absolute data on the extent of the stagnation affecting secondary school teachers.

    “By advertising vacancies for promotions in December 2022, the TSC has finally acknowledged the crisis of teacher stagnation,” Misori said.

    “However, the advertisements were for limited positions, primarily those of responsibility, implying that thousands of teachers would still be overlooked for promotions.”

    Misori has demanded that all teachers who have served as Senior Teachers, Deputy Principals, and Principals receive automatic promotions.

    “We demand that all teachers in Job Group C2 to C3 be promoted automatically after three years of service. 

    “We demand that no cadre be left out of promotion advertisements for as long as this is the case,” he said.

    He also stated that many principals in Job Group D3 who work in sub-county schools have been stagnant for many years and have not been considered for promotion.

    “Senior Masters in secondary schools is a significant deployment, according to career progression guidelines. We noticed that most schools do not have substantive Senior Masters, so the majority are internally appointed by schools where they have worked for a long time, which violates labor laws,” Misori explained.

    According to the unionist, the 1,330 teachers set for promotion are insufficient given the large number of teachers who have remained in the category.

    Following pressure from teachers and Parliament, the TSC plans to promote 14,742 teachers who have been stuck in the same job group.

    Primary school teachers will receive the lion’s share of the 13,713 promotions, with 3,210 going to secondary schools and 10,507 going to primary schools.

    A total of 1,021 teachers will be assigned to 18 Arid and Semi-Arid Counties, with the rest of the country sharing 13,717 principals, Deputy Principals, Senior Masters, and Head Teachers in both primary and secondary schools.

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