The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) has assured teachers of fair recruitment during the recruitment exercise that is set to begin soon.
TSC Narok County Director, Bernard Kimachas, who spoke in his office today said 45 primary school teachers and 78 secondary school teachers would be recruited in the county.
He reiterated that the recruiting panel is in the process of confirming the authenticity of the documents received from the applicants before calling them for interviews.
“I want to assure the teachers that everyone who applied for these posts will be called for the interview. We will recruit those who have qualified as per the guidelines given by TSC,” he said.
On ethnicity issue, the TSC director said he was aware that the county is cosmopolitan, promising to distribute the chances in a proportional manner that will benefit all the people living in the county.
“We are aware of the ethnicity disparity that has aroused complaints in the past, we have put measures in place that will ensure fairness,” he said.
In the last teachers’ recruitment exercise held in the month of December 2020, some local youth disrupted activity at Maasai Girls` High school and chased away non-locals claiming they had come to take their jobs.
The local leaders too, had insisted that the locals be given priority in the recruitment wondering why people from outside counties were being fronted in the recruitment.
Last month, TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia announced that the commission will hire 5, 000 teachers as the treasury had allocated Sh5 billion for the recruitment of teachers.
The programme targets unemployed registered teachers who are Kenyan citizens, who do not have a previous employment with TSC on permanent terms among other requirements.
The recruitment exercise is expected to ease the burden of teachers’ shortage in the county that stands at about 702 primary teachers and 168 secondary teachers.
The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, has honoured 31 teachers who have consistently demonstrated exemplary performance in teaching, management and effective delivery of the curriculum for quality education.
The teachers are drawn from all over the country.
“I wish to state that the process of identifying the teachers to be rewarded today has been done in strict conformity to the TSC Performance Recognition, Reward and Sanction Policy Framework. All the 31 teachers will be feted based on the rewards system outlined in this TSC policy – which stresses on meritocracy and detailed due diligence in recognising staff.” Said TSC Boss Dr. Nancy Macharis during the celebrations of this year’s World Teachers Dayt.
“I wish to state that we are not in any way suggesting that the 31 teachers are the only remarkable teachers we have in the practice. In fact, this number is just the tip of the ice berg. And we, at the TSC, will keep finding more ways to ensure all our teachers feel recognised and appreciated for their work.” She added.
Here is the full list of the 31 teachers honoured by TSC during this year’s World Teachers Day.
Bomet Branch members of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) have vowed to push for a change of guard in the upcoming Union National Elections.
Led by the Branch Executive Secretary, Malel Langat, the members said it was time to revive the lost glory of the Union.
Speaking after a Branch Executive Council meeting at a Bomet hotel, Mr Langat decried how the Union was slowly dying due to what he termed as poor leadership.
“We have met as a Branch and decided that we will push for a change of guard so that we can breathe some life into the Union which is currently on its knees,” said Malel.
Incumbent KNUT Secretary General, Wilson Sossion, who comes from Bomet County is set to lock horns with his Deputy, Collins Henry Oyuu, in an epic battle later this month.
Mr Langat who has openly sided with Oyuu said the Branch will declare their support in seven days and move out to carry out a countywide campaign.
“The election we are heading to is very unique because it will determine if KNUT is going to survive or disappear into oblivion and as election officials, we are out to salvage it and we will not shy from sending away the leaders who are ruining the vibrant teachers voice,” declared Langat.
Mr Sossion is increasingly getting side-lined by elected officials from his Rift Valley backyard.
With more than 25 Branches in the region, only three Branch Secretaries are backing his re-election bid.
Nandi South Branch Executive Secretary, Kipyegon Misoi, his Bureti counterpart Alfred Rop and Trans Mara’s Willy Korir, are leading the push for Sossion’s re-election.
The Kericho Union leaders led Stanley Mutai, who is leading the rebellion against Sossion said the Union was slowly being strangled by one of their own.
Mr Mutai accused Sossion of running the union like a personal property without paying attention to the plight of teachers.
He said Sossion was now not allowing alternative voices in the Union to come out and help him run the Union.
“The SG (Sossion) has steered KNUT into the current storm just by failing to listen to other Union officials,” he said.
He said it was time to end the drama and built cohesion so that members can benefit and Union can also grow.
“His style of antagonizing everyone is wrong approach and we want to bring it to an end by sending him away,” he said.
Mutai who is eying the First National Chairman position is backing Oyuu in the elections.
He had previous sought to oust Sossion but changed his mind in the last minute and vowed to back Oyuu.
Mr Langat is seeking the National Executive Council member position to represent Rift Valley.
Langat is facing off with Joshua Cheptarus who is enjoying the backing of Sossion.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has revealed top ten fears among teachers. According to a new report on teachers’ preparedness report the anticipated new fourth wave of Covid-19 has been listed as the greatest challenge facing teachers, currently.
The report further says that teachers may not be well prepared to tackle the challenges (of the new wave of covid 19) due to inadequate funding, limited water and fear of the unknown.
The second challenge facing teachers is that of syllabus coverage. The report says the congested school calendar may lead to hurried coverage of the syllabus in schools, and according to the teachers, this may affect quality teaching and learning.
“Because of available time, the quality learning is a headache to teachers,” said Reuben Nthamburi, TSC director of quality assurance.
Thirdly, teachers fear congestion in schools due to the overstretched infrastructure; as all learners troop back to schools.
“Many children will all be coming in at the same time. And with few spaces available, teachers are worried,” adds Dr Nthamburi.
Additionally, increase in teachers’ workload is sending cold shivers to the teachers; who say more work will be at their disposal and managing children and running schools will be immense for them.
Implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has been listed as the fifth fear among teachers. Much as the CBC books have been dispatched to schools, the teachers hold that the implementation of the new curriculum in the other classes, including the pioneer class, will remain a headache.
Another fear among teachers is the challenge on Fees payment by parents.The teachers say the effects posed by the current Covid 19 pandemic may limit parents’ ability to meet school fees obligations.
Here is the full list of fears among teachers, as documented by TSC:
New wave of the deadly Covid 19 pandemic,
Syllabus coverage,
Congestion in schools due to the overstretched infrastructure,
Increase in teachers’ workload,
Implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC),
The Commission has come up with measures to mitigate against these fears. Some of these include:
Increase psychosocial support,
Increase access to water and soap, minimize the use of sanitisers,
Sustain positive messages to teachers,
Train teachers on the management of Covid-19,
Enhance contacts with health institutions and personnel for regular checkups,
Blended learning: Incorporate remote learning as alternative modes of curriculum delivery.
No more stopping leaning in case of another surge.
Urging all teachers to be vaccinated against Covid 19. So far, some 158,720, teachers have received the first dose of the vaccine, with another 89,611 fully vaccinated.
The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, has released guidelines on the implementation and structure of the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) modules. Read all the details below.
Introduction to TPD
Teacher Professional development are either formal or informal activities that registered teachers undertake in order to continuously improve their pedagogical skills, management skills and learner outcomes.
Teachers in Kenya have been involved in TPD for many years. But the TPD programmes had some shortcomings.
Common short-comings with existing TPD Programmes (2016)
The programs do not address individual teacher’s performance gaps.
The programs do not provide equal opportunity to all teachers
The programs are not compulsory nor continuous
The programs do not offer any motivation for continuous learning
Reasons for introducing TPD Modules
21st century demand:
Learners in the 21st century are confronted with increasingly complex social cultural, economic, technological, and global challenges; teachers therefore must prepare learners who possess sophisticated, diversified, and complementary competencies that will enable them to navigate through these challenges.
Global trend :
Most European countries, America , Australia and some African countries have developed comprehensive TPD programme.
What is contained in the new TPD Modules
Development of a Teachers Professional
Development policy Framework
Making TPD compulsory to all teachers
Making TPD activities a life long learning
programs carried out in 6 levels
Introduction of Kenya Professional Teaching Standards
Teachers just like with other professionals, participate in professional development to learn and apply new knowledge and skills that will improve their competence and leadership capacity through structured programmes developed by a regulator.
TPD in Kenya is established as a coordinated and structured professional development by TSC.
All TPD programmes organized by the Commission or by accredited service providers will be based on the Kenya Professional Teaching Standards (KePTS), a set of competency standards that describe what a Kenyan teacher should know and be able to do for improved learning outcomes.
Learning activities in TPD will be delivered through prescribed modules developed by the commission.
Kenya Professional Teaching Standards
Standard 1: Teacher Promotes Professionalism throughout their Career
Standard 2: Teacher has Pedagogical Content Knowledge and understanding of competency- based Curriculum and how to implement it.
Standard 3: Teacher has knowledge on assessment and reporting
Standard 4: Teacher Knows how to Create and Support Inclusive Education Practices
Standard 5:Teacher knows and promotes comprehensive school health and safety
Standard 6: Teacher has knowledge of financial literacy skills
Standard 7: Teacher knows and practices instructional leadership.
DESIGN AND STRUCTURE OF TPD
The TPD program is structured into six (6) sequential levels corresponding to competency level of the teachers. TPD Service providers will deliver each module on behalf of TSC.
Each level has a corresponding TPD Module
It will take a teacher 5 years to complete one module for a
particular level.
A module is organized in 5 chapters and covers all the the seven KePTS standards
Teachers are expected to enroll and undertake a TPD programme on face to face session once a year during a school holiday.
During the other two school holidays, teachers will undertake TPD through online.
TPD Competence levels ( 6)
There are six (6) Competence Levels as shown in the table below;
TPD competence levels
Assessment of TPD
TPD activities will be evaluated based on authentic assessment which will include :
Reflective journal
Participant led final synthesis
Individual Professional Portfolio development and Presentation
Incentives for TPD
Earning of TPD points
Renewal of Teaching Certificate.
RENEWAL OF TEACHING CERTIFICATE
For renewal of the teaching certificate, a teacher must have completed 5 chapters of a module and provide documentary evidence of having successfully completion.
Upon commencement of the TPD Programme;
All serving teachers will be required to acquire Teaching Certificate renewable every 5 years,
while the subsequent applicants for Certificate of Registration will be issued with both certificates.
Accreditation of TPD Service Providers
TPD service providers must be recognized and registered with the Commission to offer services which must address the 7 KePTS.
The Commission will accredited various categories of TPD service providers as follows:
Category 1:Government institutions mandated to capacity teachers: Will align to at least one of the seven KePTS
Category 2:Non government organizations in partnership with the Commission. Will align to at least one of the seven KePTS
Category 3: Organizations selected through competitive tendering system. Will use the Commission’s prescribed modules with all the seven standards.
Funding of TPD programmes based on the prescribed modules.
Direct costs :
Individual teachers will pay the service providers a capacity building fee.
Indirect costs:
The Commission will meet the indirect costs like monitoring of the programme.
MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
The Commission shall undertake continuous monitoring and evaluation of TPD programme to quality assure, offer professional support and give feedback on the training programmes.
READINESS FOR THE ROLL OUT OF TPD.
The following activities have been carried out in preparation for the national roll-out;
Four TPD service providers have been identified and accredited
At least 30 facilitators from each of the TPD service providers have been trained on how to facilitate sessions based on prescribed modules.
Online delivery of TPD introductory module was piloted in June, 2020
The Commission has signed contracts with the TPD service providers
WHAT NEXT?
Offer refresher capacity building of the TPD service providers facilitators ( this was executed on Monday, 20th September, 2021)Publicity of TPD programme
