'Teachers Service Commission should hire ECDE teachers'

The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) has written to Attorney General Githu Muigai advising him that the Teachers Service Commission is the right institution to register trained teachers and to consequently recruit and employ them.

In an advisory dated September 10 and signed by CIC Vice Chairperson Elizabeth Muli, the commission called for the amendment of Sessional Paper No 14 of 2012 on reforming and training sectors and the Basic Education Act 2012 to align them to the constitutional term of pre-primary education.

“Whereas Section 9, Part 2 of the Forth Schedule to the Constitution gives the responsibility of pre-primary education, village polytechnics, home craft centers and child care facilities to the county governments, Articles 273 (1) mandates TSC to register trained teachers and to recruit and employ registered teachers,”the advisory read in part. 

EXPECTED STANDARDS

On the conflict between TSC and the Education ministry over management of quality assurance, CIC said the Education Standards and Quality Assurance Council is mandated to control standards of basic education and training while TSC can only ensure that teachers acquire and uphold the standards expected of them.

CIC said TSC cannot be involved in quality assurance and may only check a teacher’s quality status as part of its research to inform what needs to be done to improve teacher’s standards through training.

CIC urged the AG to postpone publication of the draft Code of Regulations for Teachers, saying it is in conflict with section 54 (7) (r) of the Basic Education Act. CIC said the regulations to the Basic education Act should provide for an appropriate mechanisms for TSC to participate in the development of co-curricular activities.