TSC set to promote over 12,000 teachers in country

Another Sh400 million will be used to promote 2,637 graduate teachers to Group C4 from Group C3. Over Sh175 million will be needed to promote 652 graduate teachers in Grade D3 to Grade D4.

"Another 4,750 diploma teachers in Job Group C2 will require Sh1 million to be promoted to Job Group C3," she told the National Assembly Education Committee.

The education committee's chairman Julius Melly urged the commission to compensate and promote teachers who had stagnated in the same job group for many years as well as those who have been working in an acting capacity.

"How will the teachers who have been acting as principals, deputies or heads of a department be compensated? Failing to promote them means their retirement package will be affected," Melly said.

Macharia said the stagnation of teachers in the same job groups was due to the lack of funds and asked the government to provide the Sh2,175,038,528 they needed to carry out the teacher promotion.

"We have been unable to promote teachers because of financial constraints. The commission has not received funds to promote teachers since the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement CBA. This has tainted the commission's image," Macharia said.

Malava MP Malulu Injendi sought to understand what TSC's priorities were in its strategic plan.

"We have seen in your tabulations. You want us to give you Sh2.1 billion towards a Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme to improve their pedagogical skills, management skills and learning outcome," Injendi said.

He added: "Between the TPD programme and teachers' promotions, which is your priority area."

Macharia said: "To address the problem, the commission requires Sh2.2 million to promote teachers. Those teachers who were employed as interns will be absorbed under permanent and pensionable terms, paving the way for new cohorts of teachers to be admitted to the commission."

Melly asked the commission to provide the roadmap for reforms and innovations in the provision of teaching services to learners in the delivery of curriculum in schools.

He observed that as of now, learning in some Grade Seven classes is at standstill due to a shortage of teachers. He said this denies learners equity and inclusivity in the management of the teacher resource.

"In some schools, there is not even a single Junior Secondary School teacher, and in others, the ministry has only posted one. It is the reason we are calling on TSC to move fast to address the problem of shortage of teachers," Melly said.

Macharia assured the committee that the commission's focus areas are the recruitment of additional teachers to address the existing shortage and the building of the capacities of teachers on the competence-based curriculum.

TSC promised to employ more teachers as long as the government provides resources.

"The commission wishes to review the 2021-2025 CBA on salaries with an aim to motivate teachers under the employment of the commission," Macharia said.

Macharia observed that an additional 450 secondary school teachers will be hired.

"We had a budget to hire 36,000 teachers last year. We managed to hire 35,550 teachers," Macharia said.