The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is being urged to change its teacher hiring rules to focus more on a candidate’s overall education rather than just their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) scores. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) argues that the current rules unfairly disadvantage applicants who may not have done well in secondary school but have since improved their qualifications.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu expressed concern that requiring diploma teachers to have at least a C grade in KCSE ignores the progress many people have made after finishing school. He noted that some successful educators, like professors and university lecturers, did not have high KCSE scores but later achieved great academic success.
Oyuu believes it is unfair for the TSC to deny teaching positions in junior secondary schools based solely on these initial grades. He pointed out that many teachers have worked hard to earn degrees and advanced qualifications while juggling full-time jobs, and he urged the TSC to prioritize their higher education when hiring.
He shared the story of a student who started with a low KCSE score but went on to study at colleges in Kenya and abroad, eventually becoming a professor. This example shows that early academic performance should not be the only measure of a teacher’s ability.
Oyuu also mentioned that KCSE results do not accurately reflect a student’s skills, as they can be influenced by various factors like socioeconomic status and school conditions. He suggested that some students might have performed better if they had attended better schools or had more resources.
Given the ongoing shortage of teachers, Oyuu called for a more inclusive hiring approach. He highlighted that many teachers are overwhelmed, managing over 100 students in classrooms, which negatively affects the quality of education.
To improve the situation, the union is asking for cooperation between Junior Secondary School (JSS) and primary school teachers to eliminate disparities in staffing. KNUT is urging both the TSC and the government to rethink their hiring practices and adopt a more progressive approach to teacher recruitment.