Revised TSC Teacher Promotion Policy to Focus on Age and Length of Service
Acknowledgment for Long-Serving Educators
In a bid to address the ongoing issue of career stagnation among teachers, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has launched new promotion guidelines. Numerous teachers, who have dedicated decades to their profession, have reportedly not received a promotion. The Commission now aims to rectify this situation by recognizing their dedication and years of service.
Promotion Based on Age and Tenure
As stated by Nyanza TSC Regional Director Japhet Kariuki, the updated promotion criteria will focus on a teacher’s age and length of service. He clarified that these elements would be prioritized only if the teacher in question had upheld a clear disciplinary history.
Kariuki highlighted that the Commission intended to guarantee that no teacher would spend their entire career without ever attaining a promotion, emphasizing that both age and years of service would now play a pivotal role in the promotion process.
“We don’t want a teacher to start working and retire without a promotion. Age and years of service will now be major considerations to tackle career promotion stagnation,” stated Kariuki.
He underscored that moving forward, teachers’ discipline records and commitment would serve as the primary benchmarks in the promotion process to align them with the CBC.
While addressing attendees at Migori Stadium during the second day of the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) regional annual general meeting, Kariuki provided insights into the reforms being undertaken. These modifications are part of a wider initiative by the Commission to improve both the quality of education and the welfare of teachers.
Concerns Regarding Transparency and Fairness in Promotions
On Tuesday, Members of Parliament challenged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) about what they described as inequitable and unclear promotion practices. They expressed concern over the distribution of 25,252 promotion slots, citing allegations of unfairness and political interference in the process.
When appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Education, TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia defended the process. She elaborated that the exercise was grounded in law and decentralized to guarantee fair regional representation. The CEO mentioned that the commission had made opportunities available by conducting interviews at the sub-county level, striving for fairness and inclusivity.
The promotion slots were distributed earlier in the year after a Sh1 billion allocation from the National Treasury. Included among those promoted were 5,690 teachers who responded to advertisements in November and 19,943 who applied following the December announcement.
Dr. Macharia pointed out that priority had been given to teachers in acting capacities, those who had remained stagnant in the same job group for an extensive duration, and older educators. Assessment was also based on factors such as Teacher Performance Appraisal scores and involvement in co-curricular activities.
Legislators Raise Concerns Over Fairness and Allocation
Despite the TSC’s clarifications, MPs voiced their discontent with the integrity of the promotion process. Concerns were raised that certain deserving teachers had been consistently overlooked, whereas others had been promoted multiple times in a short period.
Committee Chair Julius Melly considered the uniform distribution across counties dubious and inconsistent with historical practices. He contended that it overlooked differences in population and educational requirements, questioning how a teacher could earn several promotions while others stayed in the same role for more than ten years.
The committee directed the TSC to deliver thorough documentation on the promotion process. They sought information such as the count of applicants per sub-county, the evaluation criteria, and the scoring system employed. Melly indicated that Jamleck Muturi, the TSC chairperson, was anticipated to provide complete records demonstrating how merit and fairness were maintained during the selection process.
Further criticism emerged from Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo, who charged the commission with having political motives in equally promoting teachers across counties. He asserted that although the commission possesses the power to promote and redeploy educators, distributing equal slots ignored whether the initiative was for employment or for balancing political interests.
Igembe North MP Julius Taitamu also questioned the distribution, asking why teachers from less populated counties received the same number of promotion chances as those from more densely populated areas. Taitamu maintained that the distribution did not illustrate equity and fairness, labeling it as biased and unbalanced.
Revised TSC Teacher Promotion Policy to Prioritize Age and Service Length