School heads could soon have term limits

School heads may soon serve for a specific period of time. [iStockphoto]

They include the Universities Bill, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Bill, the Kenya National Qualifications Framework Bill and the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill.

Amendments to the Kenya Literature Bureau Bill, Kenya National Examinations Council Bill, and Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Bill have also been fronted.

Other proposed legislation are the Education Appeals Tribunal Bill, the Basic Education Scholarships And Bursaries Bill and the Science Technology and Innovation Bill.

What will, however, stir debate is a proposal by the ministry to issue agency contracts to school heads.

Kenya Union of Post-primary Education Teachers has already supported the proposal, terming it necessary.

Union Secretary General Akelo Misori said the law is silent on the role of heads as agents of the ministry, even though they control finance provided by the ministry. "It is necessary to have this in law," said Misori.

If adopted, primary and secondary school heads will be double agents and will report to both the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Education.

TSC will be responsible for hiring the school heads but the teachers will also get an appointment letter from the ministry to act as agents in matters of finance.

''The institutional administrator appointed shall be responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, act as an accounting officer and authorised officer and shall act as an agent of the Principal Secretary of the State Department responsible for Basic Education about the management of the school,'' reads the Basic Education Bill, 2024.

Anchoring this in law will mean that the ministry is stamping its authority in the control of school funds.

''The appointment of the institutional administrator as an agent shall be made in writing... The Principal Secretary shall retain the discretion of exercising any power delegated to the agent,'' the proposal reads.

Withdrawal of the letter will mean the headteacher is effectively deprived of the power to account for monies sent to the school.

Powers to take action on a principals has been a source of push and pull between TSC and the ministry.