TSC OUTLINES NEW GUIDELINES, DELEGATES THE ROLE OF HIRING SCHOOL HEADS: TSC NEWS
The Teachers Service Commission, TSC has come up with new guidelines that will govern the process of hiring school administrators: principals, primary school heads, deputies, senior masters, and teachers.
According to the latest TSC Circular, the power to interview and hire school administrators now lies with regional directors of education.
SCHOOLS WITH TWO OR MORE HEADS ON PAPER
This decision was arrived at after the Commission realized that some schools were having more than one head, contrary to the current TSC staffing rules.
In a bid to salvage the situation resulting in erroneously promotions, the Commission has delegated this responsibility to regional directors.
According to the Commission, this will help promote efficiency in the appointment and deployment of administrators in public schools.
NEW GUIDELINES AND POLICY
The new TSC guidelines are tied to the Commission’s policy on the appointment and deployment of institutional administrators, Career Progression Guidelines, CPGs, the Code of regulation, and other rules governing the teaching sector.
CAREER PROGRESSION GUIDELINES, CPGs
The current TSC Career Progression Guidelines, CPGs introduced a competitive recruitment process for available administrative positions in all public schools.
In the guidelines, the promotion of teachers depends on available vacancies in the given institutions, minimum qualifications per grade, and relevant Teacher Professional Development, TPD Modules.
Other relevant factors include work experience and satisfactory performance.
The policy does not however include higher academic qualifications as a possible criterion to be used in the selection process.
This issue has been an eyesore causing friction between the Commission and teachers’ unions.
TSC SCHEMES OF SERVICE
The new guidelines replace TSC schemes of service which were stratified into three major categories: scheme of service for non-graduate teachers, the scheme of service for graduate teachers, and scheme of service for technical teachers and lecturers.
In the new guidelines, all teachers will be required to undertake professional development modules to facilitate their Career Progression as per the provisions of Regulation 48 of the TSC Code of Regulations for Teachers.
GRADES
To rise through the ranks to higher TSC grades, teachers and lecturers must meet the minimum qualifications prescribed by the Commission and or the work experience required for each grade.
In the new guidelines, the TSC has established eight grades for primary school teachers, 10 grades for secondary school teachers and six grades for teachers at the Centre for Mathematics, Science, Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), eight grades for tutors in TVET colleges, seven grades in Technical Training Colleges, TTCs and eight for teachers in KISE.
SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION CENTRES
Special Needs Education centers for primary education level have got five grades, eight grades in secondary education level, and eight in TVET institutions.
QUALIFICATIONS
Primary school teachers serving under the current Career Progression Guidelines, CPGs are expected to have a C (plain) in KCSE and a Primary Teacher Education (PTE) certificate. The minimum entry grade for the visually and hearing impaired teachers who would like to pursue a PTE is a C- Minus.
Secondary school teachers are expected to have a C+ plus in KCSE and a Diploma in Education, Bachelor’s degree in Education, or a Postgraduate Diploma in Education.
Special needs education secondary school teachers should have a C+ in KCSE and a Diploma in Special Needs Education or a C+ plus in KCSE and a Bachelor’s degree in Special Needs Education.
