The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, has been urged to hire more teachers so as to replace those retiring soon. Staffing gaps are also likely to be experienced as those above 55 years could be given early retirement since they are susceptible to Covid-19.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers – KUPPET, says about 25,000 teachers are aged 58 years and above and will definitely retire from June 2021.
“Half of the 25,000 teachers who are aged 58 years and above are remaining with a year or less in the service,” said Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori in a letter written to TSC this week.
The says since March, about 36 teachers have succumbed to Covid-19 causing more harm in the teaching service.
He added that between 2021 and 2023 a total of 50,000 teachers would have left the service as majority will be due for retirement while others may leave due to natural attrition.
“For this reason, Kuppet has written to the Teachers Service Commission and relevant government departments calling for urgent plans to increase the number of teachers and take other measures to maintain education services at the current levels,” He added.
Related; TSC TPAD 2 portal guide; http://tpad2.tsc.go.ke/
In its proposal Kuppet advises the Commission to hire at least 15,000 per year between 2021 and 2026. Misori added that the 12,000 teachers being hired by TSC are not sufficient enough to plug the shortage.
Misori says that the Commission has not provided a clear path on how to implement the covid 19 regulations in schools adding that teachers aged 55 years be left to retire at will.
“At the moment, head teachers, principals and TSC County Directors have no direction on how to implement the directive, as a result, many teachers who deserve the leave of absence have been denied permission to stay away from schools,” the Kuppet Secretary General lamented.
In January, his year, the Commission hired 2,120 teachers to replace those who had exited service through Natural Attrition (1591 posts for Primary Schools and 529 posts for Secondary Schools).
In September TSC recruited another 4,000 new teachers on permanent and pensionable terms for secondary school teachers and 1,000 promotion posts for primary school teachers.