The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has fired hundreds of male teachers in the last four years. This is according to data received from the Commission. According to the data, reveal nearly all deregistered teachers since 2020 are male.
Out of 562 teachers removed from the teaching register during this period, only five are female.
The TSC periodically publishes the names and registration numbers of deregistered teachers, with the number of cases more than doubling in the last two years. Once deregistered, teachers are barred from working in both public and private institutions.
However, the TSC does not publicly disclose specific offenses committed by deregistered teachers.
Reasons for Deregistration
Education stakeholders highlight that the primary reasons for teacher deregistration include:
- Sexual offenses
- Alcoholism
- Desertion of duty
- Embezzlement of funds
According to a TSC official, the majority of cases involve sexual misconduct, followed by absenteeism. Male teachers are more frequently implicated in these offenses, which is a growing concern within the education sector.
Edward Obwocha, the national secretary for secondary schools at the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, also expressed alarm over the trend. He emphasized that many cases relate to sexual misconduct and absenteeism.
Obwocha noted that financial pressures, including low salaries and loan burdens, often lead to absenteeism and other disciplinary issues such as alcohol abuse.
Teachers, as the main earners in their families, can experience depression, which exacerbates the situation, often culminating in deregistration.
Statistics on Teacher Deregistration
In 2022, a total of 100 teachers were deregistered, with only two being female. In 2023, the number of female teachers deregistered remained low, with just two cases recorded throughout March, August, September, October, and November.
Similarly, in 2024, only one female teacher has been deregistered so far.
In contrast, male teacher deregistration figures are significantly higher. In 2023, 172 male teachers were deregistered, compared to only one female.
The year started with 34 male teachers deregistered in March, rising to 72 in August, then decreasing to 12 in September, before increasing again to 22 in both October and November.
By 2024, a total of 175 teachers have been deregistered, indicating a potential rise in cases by year-end.
In March 2024 alone, 41 male teachers lost their teaching licenses, with another 33 male teachers deregistered in June.
Female teacher deregistration figures, however, remained consistent with only one female teacher deregistered in March 2023, March 2024, and June 2024. Additionally, TSC deregistered 65 teachers in April 2024 for unspecified reasons.
Official Notices and Disciplinary Procedures
In an official notice dated April 20, 2024, TSC announced the deregistration of 23 teachers as of October 23, 2023, and an additional 43 teachers as of March 8, 2024.
TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia stated that these teachers were found guilty of violations under Section 30 (2) of the TSC Act (2012), requiring their immediate cessation of teaching duties.
Notably, 10 of these teachers were also removed from their roles on school boards of management.
In August 2024, TSC revoked the registration of 33 more teachers across the country, following disciplinary hearings.
The notice signed by Ms. Macharia cited Section 30 (2) of the TSC Act as the legal basis for their removal from the teaching register.
Grounds for Deregistration
Under Section 30 of the Teachers Act, deregistration may occur after disciplinary proceedings. The main grounds for removal include:
- Fraudulent acquisition of teacher registration
- Conviction of a sexual offense
- Conviction of a criminal offense
- Physical or mental incapacity to perform teaching duties
Between 2020 and 2021, 112 teachers were deregistered, with only one female teacher affected. In 2020, 71 teachers were removed from the register, comprising one female and 70 males, while in 2021, 41 teachers were deregistered.
