As teachers proceed to the April holiday most of them will be waiting with bathed breaths as their employer is expected to roll out massive transfers. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced that there shall be a major shake up administration of public schools; mostly mixed ones.
A new policy adopted by the Commission is seeking to reorganize placement of heads and deputies in mixed schools to ensure that they are not of the same gender.
“In its efforts to promote gender mainstreaming and equity, TSC is reorganizing placement of heads and deputies in mixed schools to ensure that they are not of the same gender. This is among a raft of measures taken by the Commission to conform to the requirements of the Constitution on inclusiveness, equity, equality, non- discrimination and affirmative action.” Says the Commission.
This comes a week after the International Women’s Day when Dr Nancy Macharia said that the Commission has put measures in place to ensure that it conforms with the constitution on the inclusion of both genders in leadership positions. This move is expected to foster a gender inclusive learning environment in public schools.
Already, TSC Boss Dr. Nancy Macharia has directed all the TSC Regional Directors to implement the policy that is aimed at fostering inclusivity in public schools. She directs regional directors are to liaise with the county directors who are to identify mixed schools that have heads and deputies of same gender and subsequently place the deputies appropriately after the national examinations.
“Identification and deployment of institutional administrators is premised on career progression guidelines and the policy on appointment and deployment of institutional administrators (2017). The process is underpinned on values and principles of governance which include but not limited to: equity, equality, inclusiveness, non-discrimination and affirmative action,” Macharia says in a circular addressed to all Regional TSC Directors.
Mixed schools with Principals who both are of the same gender will see one of them getting the marching orders. Macharia wants the list of the heads and deputies sent to her before April 30 once the placement is completed. This will lead to massive transfers of the affected administrators; mostly deputies.
Implementation of this new policy follows the commission’s research findings that showed a majority of the mixed schools in the country having heads and deputies of the same gender.
Macharia says a scenario where both heads and deputies are of the same gender leads to unprecedented gender imbalances in the learning institutions.
“The scenario neither fosters gender-inclusive learning environment nor provides a supportive atmosphere for all learners…Accordingly, to ensure a supportive learning environment for learners of both gender the commission’s policy is to appoint and deploy administrators of applicable gender to head and deputise learning institutions,” notes Dr.Macharia.
This policy will supplement the contentious delocalization exercise that has seen thousands of heads and their deputies moved away from home counties.
Related news; Massive teachers transfers, delocalization looming- TSC news