Tag Archives: TSC NEW SALARIES

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TSC promotion interviews; Marking scheme used faulted

A marking scheme used during the current promotions interviews by the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, has been criticized for being unfair to teachers from ‘small’ schools. The marking scheme at our disposal seems to be favoring teachers from ‘big’ schools that are known for producing better results at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

For instance, if your mean has been low in the last three years then you will score poorly during the interviews. The maximum mark for a teacher with a mean of 11 (A- minus) and above has been set at 20. Whereas a teacher with a mean of below 2 (D- minus) will be awarded one mark only.

Another scoring area is the improvement index; with teachers who have recorded a positive improvement of 2 and above garnering 20 marks.

The Commission is currently carrying out interview sessions for the about 33,000 shortlisted teachers. 

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, Kuppet, has come out to castigate TSC for sidelining some administrators in the ongoing promotions.

“We also draw your attention to the apparent discriminative procedures the Commission
has instituted against some principals, deputy principals and senior masters who merit on
the basis of their qualifications. Initially, we received complaints from members who
faced difficulties applying for the promotions via the TSC portal. We brought the matter
to the attention of your officers, who attributed it to a system glitch.” Says Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori.

In a protest letter sent to TSC, Akelo says many administrators currently serving in sub-county schools were blocked from applying for promotion to head extra-county and national schools. Those who managed to apply have not been short-listed for interviews.

In addition, the Career Progression Guidelines, CPG, being used for the interviews have placed substantial weight on the status of schools where the applicants serve. It is obvious that county and sub-county schools cannot compete fairly with the well-established ones.

A glaring difference between the two categories of schools is in the entry qualifications for their Form One intakes. However, the vast majority of Kenyan students and teachers
(including principals) are based in these county and sub-county schools.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers, Knut, has been opposing the CPG and has engaged the Commission in court battles.

Also given a raw deal are teachers with higher qualifications as their papers have been rendered useless.

“Unless this system is changed, many qualified teachers-including those with post-graduate qualifications might not get their deserved promotion. This policy will also balkanize Kenya, given the inequalities in economic development across the country.” Misori adds.

Equally affected are teachers serving in Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs) have been systematically sidelined from these promotions. This is because the Scoring in heavily weighted on the applicant’s marks under the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development, TPAD, appraisal tool.

TSC News Portal

TSC CBA for teachers 2021-2026

TSC latest news on 2021-2025 CBA: The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has reached a number of agreements in its engagement with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) concerning the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

According to Kuppet, classroom teachers will ‘reap big’ from the new CBA after receiving a raw deal in the previous one. See the latest presser from Kuppet on the 2021-2026 CBA talks at the Naivasha retreat in March 2021.

KENYA UNION OF POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION TEACHERS PRESS STATEMENT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE KUPPET-TSC RETREAT AT THE NAIVASHA SAWELA HOTEL FROM 14 TO 18 MARCH 2021

KUPPET has held a very fruitful four-day retreat with the Teachers Service Commission to resolve policy and administrative challenges of the 2016-2021 CBA and review the status of negotiations for the new one for 2021-2026. This was the second retreat between KUPPET and the TSC, the first one having taken place in October/November 2019.

During the talks, it was clear that the union and the employer had undertaken their responsibilities under the CBA process. What remains is for the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to give its Advisory to the TSC to enable the employer to table a counter offer to the union. We are seriously concerned by this delay by SRC, since the expiry of the current CBA on 30 June is fast approaching.

1. NEW CBA TO GIVE TRUE WORTH OF CLASSROOM TEACHER

KUPPET and the TSC have developed new Job Descriptions capturing the true worth of a classroom teacher. The new Job Descriptions recognise the teachers’ leadership and technical work within and outside the classroom, which had been ignored by the evaluation tool previously used by the SRC.

There are up to 30 new roles of the classroom teacher, including:
(i) Class management
(ii) Substantial financial responsibility during outdoor activities like tours and sports.

In the new CBC curriculum, a teachers’ work will even be more complex.

2. PROMOTION OF C3 TEACHERS AND TTC TUTORS

The Job Re-Evaluation has resulted in the creation of a new opening in C4 for Senior Master IV and Senior Lecturer IV for those in TTCs who do not have administrative positions. At the moment, the Commission has advertised 6,680 vacancies for these cadres as the first step towards institutionalising C4 as a promotional grade from C3.

Under the CBC, the TTC tutors will be training teachers at the Diploma level, hence the repositioning of their roles. Administrators in TTCs including Deans and Registrars will have a clear career path with substantive appointments.

3. DIPLOMA TEACHERS

The career path for Diploma Teachers has been clarified. By the commencement of the 2016 CBA on 8 November 2017, more than half of teachers who had joined service at Job Group had obtained Bed degrees and transited to the Graduate Scheme of Service.

Among those who had not, those who had served for more than three years in one Job Group had been promoted to the next Job Group, i.e., Job Group k or L, under the common cadre promotions.

However, a small number of the teachers, who had served in one Job Group for less than three years, had their promotions following the scrapping of one common cadre promotional level. Following the union’s memorandums, the Commission has advertised positions specifically to this group of teachers. We understand that the Commission received fewer applicants than the number of vacancies it declared.

4. MATERNITY LEAVE FOR INTERN TEACHERS

The Commission agreed that, except for specific provisions of their contracts, all intern teachers will work under the same conditions as provided under the Code of Regulations for Teachers. The intern teachers qualify for maternity leave of 90 calendar days with effect from the expected date of delivery, as do other teachers.

5. POLICY ON POST-GRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS

The Commission agreed to suspend the requirement of a Master’s degree for Principals or other promotions within the teaching service. This is in line with regulations by the Public Service Commission which has scrapped the requirement of a Master’s degree for promotions at Job Group P and above. Post-graduate qualifications will be considered as an added advantage.

The union, however, demanded the introduction of a Post-Graduate Allowance for teachers who possess Master’s and PhD degrees irrespective of their position in service.

6. REDEPLOYMENT OF GRADUATE TEACHERS FROM PRIMARY

In readiness for the new CBC curriculum, the Commission will promote 1,000 graduate teachers who initially had P1 qualifications to secondary schools every financial year. By June 30, it shall have redeployed 2,000 of such teachers, and the redeployment will continue until the numbers are fully addressed. The teachers must have obtained a KCSE mean grade of C+ and C+ in two teaching subjects.

7. TEACHERS’ MEDICAL SCHEME

The meeting observed the numerous problems teachers face in accessing health services under the Medical Scheme. It was agreed that an inter-parties meeting between the TSC, Minet and KUPPET would be held soon to discuss the issues and recommend solutions.