It is all systems go as TSC moves to ensure only registered teachers are engaged

Media Team @Educationnewshub.co.ke | April 19, 2024 | TSC Latest News | No Comments

The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, has extended its tentacles to ensure schools comply with the directive on engaging registered teachers. It is going to be business unusual, in coming weeks, for schools still having unregistered and de-registered teachers in their payrolls; if the latest directive by the TSC boss Dr Nancy Macharia is anything to go by. The TSC has been insisting that schools only employ duly registered teachers under the Board of Management, BOM, terms; a directive that has perhaps been ignored by some schools, according to the Commission.

“All TSC County and Sub- County Directors are required to ensure full compliance with the registration requirements in line with the provisions of the Constitution, the TSC Act and Code of Regulation for Teachers,” reads, in part, a February (2019) circular from the TSC boss, Dr Nancy Macharia.

Now the Commission has directed TSC Regional Coordinators to liaise with their Educational counterparts to ensure teachers teaching in both public and private schools are duly registered. “Despite several circulars on the enforcement of this requirement (engaging duly registered teachers only on BOM terms), there are still instances where unregistered, or even deregistered individuals, have been engaged to teach in both Public and Private Schools,” observes Dr Macharia in the latest circular dated 2nd May, 2019.

The Commission now wants Regional directors to ensure full compliance with this directive and take action in case of non-compliance. This directive comes at a backdrop of the biting teacher shortage at public schools; a situation that has been aggravated by the Free Education and the 100 percent transition programmes by the Government.

School heads will now have to not only engage registered teachers in both Curricular and Co- curricular activities, but also display the names of all teachers, their TSC numbers and teaching subjects in the Principal’s office or Head Teacher’s office and the staffroom.

Apart from compliance with the directive on registered teachers, the Commission has also directed its field officers to ensure all private schools are duly registered. “Compliance with registration requirements for private schools should be continuously monitored, through physical checks at least twice every school term,” directs the TSC boss.

The Commission has set tough registration requirements for teachers seeking TSC numbers and even intends to review it; that to be registered one has to undertake an internship programme at an assigned school.

Currently, to be given a registration certificate one has to provide:

Certificate of Good Conduct,
Relevant academic and professional certificates from recognized institutions,
a copy of Identity Card or Passport,
passport photo,
KRA Pin Certificate,
dully filled GP 69 Medical Form and
Payment of registration fee.

NUMBER OF LESSONS FOR TEACHERS PER WEEK.

According to the the Commission’s Curriculum Based Establishment, CBE, Principals should handle between 8-12 lessons per week. While, Deputy Principals take 12-18 lessons per week. Senior Masters are expected to handle 18-24 lessons and all other teachers are supposed to teach a minimum of 27 lessons per week. Schools are thus expected to engage extra man power once these guidelines have been followed and that there are still staffing gaps.