TSC talks tough as it moves to enforce ban on holiday tuition

By Augustine Oduor

Teachers Service Commission has moved to implement holiday tuition ban by the Ministry of Education.

Commission Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni asked TSC county directors to ensure the directive is followed.

In a circular to all the 47 directors, he said the policy on holiday tuition still stands and asked them to take appropriate action. “No whole class tuition will be allowed to take place in any school,” read the note.

Lengoiboni also referred to the TSC Code of Conduct and Ethics (Legal Notice No 137 of 2003) Part 1 Section 15 (1)(a) which states: “A public officer shall not charge or accept any fee for tuition of a student, even if the tuition is given outside official working hours.”

“Ensure that the contents of this circular are brought to the attention of all principals and head teachers in schools under your jurisdiction,” he told the directors.

This circular comes a week after Education minister Mutula Kilonzo said he had written to TSC to discipline principals and head teachers who contravene the policy. He said teachers going against the directive would be prosecuted and threatened to dissolve school boards that will condone holiday tuition.

Mutula, however, said last week that the ministry will not be concerned over privately arranged holiday tuition, provided it is not conducted in schools.

The minister threw a new spin into the debate as it emerged parents and teachers have rotested implementation of the ban.

Mutula said he would care less if tuition is conducted under trees or away from schools, as long as he has officially protected the school environment and enforced the policy.

Unrest in schools

“Children are stressed even the more because they are kept in schools all the time. We also have seen cases of school unrests. I want to protect the child and also make schools friendly,” he said.