TSC needs Sh35 billion to promote 178,871 teachers

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has indicated that a budget of Sh35 billion is necessary to facilitate the advancement of 178,871 teachers who have remained in stagnant job groups for an extended period. This information was presented to the National Assembly Education Committee on Tuesday.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia, who appeared before the committee chaired by Vice Chair Eve Obara (MP, Kasipul), attributed the stagnation of teachers’ career progression to persistent underfunding, which has obstructed the implementation of the commission’s career progression guidelines.

Macharia stated, “Inadequate budgetary allocations have severely hindered the professional development of teachers. This stagnation has led to grievances from unions, diminished morale, and an increase in attrition rates within the teaching profession.”

In her defense against allegations of favoritism and biased promotion practices, Macharia revealed that for the financial years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, only Sh2 billion has been allocated for teacher promotions, which is significantly below the Sh35 billion required to address the existing backlog.

During this timeframe, 151,611 teachers received promotions, with 75,090 advancing through common cadre promotions and 76,521 through competitive processes. In the current financial year alone, 25,252 teachers have been promoted to new grades following interviews conducted earlier this year.

Documentation indicates that despite a substantial number of applications, 381 positions advertised in November and December 2024 remain unfilled, primarily due to financial and logistical challenges. In November 2024, 5,690 teachers applied for promotions, followed by an additional 19,943 applications in December.

Furthermore, the CEO disclosed that while the TSC had requested Sh2 billion from the National Treasury for this year’s promotions, only Sh1 billion was allocated, once again falling short of the commission’s requirements.

These comments come in the context of increasing dissatisfaction from the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), which has criticized the TSC for perceived inequities in promotion practices, particularly regarding the use of a quota-based system that the association argues is discriminatory and demotivating.