TSC- All teachers were ‘promoted’ in 2017 and none has stagnated for over 10 years

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has reported that all teachers were given promotions in 2017.

This is according to the TSC Boss, Dr. Nancy Macharia.

The TSC Boss told the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education that the promotions for all teachers in 2017 costed the government a whooping Sh54 billion.

Macharia told the committee at Parliament buildings it was not true that some teachers had remained in the same grade for up to 10 years as was alleged.

Macharia was adamant that the longest a teacher may have stayed in the same job grade is four years.

She reported that the government was doing everything possible to ensure teachers are promoted.

In 2017 the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, established 36 job groups for teachers. The placement of the tutors in the various job groups was guided by the Career Progression Guidelines, CPG, developed by the Commission. This replaced the Scheme of Service, SoS.

Basically, the Career Progression Guidelines placed the teachers in two categories; the Administrators and the classroom teachers/ Non- administrators.

ADMINISTRATORS

This is the managerial category of teachers in public schools and colleges. For Secondary schools the administrators are: Principals, Deputy Principals and Senior Masters. Primary schools schools have Head Teachers, Deputy Head Teachers and Senior Teachers as Administrators.

While, Tertiary institutions/ Teachers’ colleges have: Principals, Deputy Principals and Senior Lecturers in this category.

NON- ADMINISTRATORS

According to the Career Progression Guidelines, all Secondary School Non Administrators fall in the Secondary Teacher Category. For Primary Schools, the non administrators are aggregated into the Primary Teacher Category. While, Tertiary Institutions’ administrators are placed in the Lecturers’ band.

The TSC Boss told the Committee that 15,522 teachers will be promoted early next year, 2023.

She told the MPs that the Advert is ready and will be out once the national examinations are over.

“Immediately after exams come to an end, we shall advertise and start the process of promoting the teachers to different grades,” said Macharia.

The promotions will cost the government Sh1.4 billion.

Committee chair Julius Melly asked how much it would cost TSC to promote teachers. The members wondered why teachers were stagnating in the same job group for many years.

“There is an outcry that promotion is based on nepotism and other corruption matters. And this seems to be affecting most teachers who have been serving in the same position” Hon Melly wondered .