Teachers to receive improved allowances in new Proposed TSC Bill

Teachers to receive improved allowances in new Proposed TSC Bill

Teachers are poised to receive improved allowances if the new Proposed TSC Bill is approved.

This proposed bill currently under consideration in parliament offers a more structured and transparent system of allowances for educators in Kenya.

The Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is introduced by Mandera South MP Abdul Haro, aiming to amend the TSC Act of 2012 with distinctly outlined regulations for teacher allowances.

Section 32A of the proposal primarily aims to formalize the typically informal method of assigning teachers to acting positions.

The Bill also introduces a new ‘Schedule Four’, which categorizes nine distinct types of allowances. These allowances encompass those for housing, commuting, hardship, leave, transfers, special school, reader’s facilitation, responsibility, and acting allowances.

It is important to note that only the responsibility allowance will qualify for pension benefits.

The other allowances will be pensionable if one continues to receive them until retirement.

The Bill also suggests an amendment to Section 11 of the TSC Act to ensure that before the Commission disburses its allowances, it must consult the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

Hon. Haro states that these amendments are intended to foster fairness, legal clarity, and accountability in the allocation of benefits to educators.

He emphasized that legal support would guarantee that such benefits are disbursed consistently and not left to arbitrary decision-making.

Thus, it is timely for the bill to be proposed amid considerable pressure from teacher unions, including KNUT and KUPPET, which are calling for extensive reviews of salaries and allowances.

These unions are advocating for an increase in base salary, a hazard allowance for science educators, and compensation for work performed during public holidays.

KNUT has also requested that additional credits be awarded to teachers in challenging and under-resourced environments and that acting teachers—usually deputy heads—be compensated even if they are not formally appointed.

Public feedback regarding this bill has been sought and should be submitted to the Departmental Committee on Education by May 9, 2025.

If enacted, the law would theoretically simplify payments, enhance transparency, and boost teachers’ morale.