TSC rejects demand to promote, hire teachers

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR

KENYA: A teachers’ union has demanded the promotion of 20,000 teachers, but the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) says it doesn’t have Sh3.4 billion required to effect the exercise.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) also wants TSC to resolve the membership row between two rival unions and to recruit an additional 10,000 teachers by January next year.

Knut says the three issues will be discussed at next month’s Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) to be held in Nakuru.

The union’s Chairman Wilson Sossion said last year alone, some 10,000 teachers were not promoted after successfully undertaking professional courses.

“By the end of this year we shall also have a similar number of teachers graduating from various colleges but we now want all of them promoted without further delay,” he said.

TSC froze promotion of all teachers last year citing lack of funds. The move drew sharp reactions from the two teachers unions with Knut threatening a nationwide strike.

Commission Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni yesterday, said teachers will be promoted as soon as the commission gets the money.

Only Sh600 million was given to TSC towards promotion of teachers in this financial year against the required Sh4 billion.

This means that TSC has a deficit of some sh3.4 billion to carry out the exercise that Knut now says may ‘plunge the education sector into chaos.’

“We have not refused to promote teachers. What we are saying is that once we get the money we shall promote the teachers immediately,” said Mr Lengoiboni.

Promotion programmes

The Commission runs three categories of promotion programs with the higher qualifications category halted by the Government.

Teachers affected by the freeze are those under the common cadre who get promoted after every three years provided there is no ‘adverse reports’ about their performance.

The other category is that of teachers who get competitive promotions after undergoing thorough interviews.

Speaking yesterday, Sossion asked TSC to lift the promotions ban to reward teachers. “Every year teachers spend some Sh6 billion to upgrade their studies for the betterment of the education sector,” he said.