The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has proposed a new administrative structure which, if adopted, aims to resolve the long standing leadership conflict between primary school headteachers and junior school teachers.
Since the junior school section was incorporated into primary schools in 2023, the combined institutions have been referred as comprehensive schools, with the primary school headteachers acting as the principals.
The Commission now proposes a structure in which the institution will be headed by a principal, assisted by two deputies: one for the primary section and one for the junior school.
Ms Antonina Lentoijoni, the Director of Staffing, revealed this information when answering questions from senators during a meeting in Mombasa.
However the new structure will require legal amendments to take effect.
“We actually have a challenge there. Even our junior school teachers do not respect the heads, especially when they know that they are P1 trained teachers. But this is a transitional period. Before the laws are enacted to recognise comprehensive schools, the primary school headteachers are still in charge of the junior school,” she added.
She was responding to the vice chairperson of the Senate Education Committee, Prof. Margaret Kamar, who had asked how the TSC handles issues that arise between primary school heads and junior school teachers.
“Until that happens, our headteachers are helping us, and they have guidelines on how to handle the situation. But at the moment, they are assisting us with junior school matters,” she said.
Teachers through the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and Kenya Junior School Teachers Association (KEJUSTA), have been demanding administrative autonomy from primary school headteachers.
They urgue that the current system hinders their professional and career development.
On Saturday 13th September, Kuppet secretary general, Akello Misori, was jeered at a meeting at State House in Nairobi during a meeting between teachers and President William Ruto.
Misori had suggested that junior schools be domiciled in secondary schools.
Ms Lentoijoni explained that the Commission is reviewing staffing norms to align with the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).
“Two to three weeks ago, we received the guidelines on the rationalization of senior schools, and last year we received the same for junior schools, due to reforms implemented by the Education Taskforce. The review is necessary because of these reforms,” she said.
After the review TSC will know exactly how many teachers are required in junior schools.
Currently, the Commission is using the existing staffing norms for secondary schools.
“That is what has resulted in a shortage of 72,422 teachers in junior schools. We have now received all the guidelines from the Ministry of Education, which will enable us to determine the exact numbers,” said Ms Lentoijoni.
Although “comprehensive schools” are not yet legally recognised, the Ministry of Education has drafted Bills that are pending in the National Assembly.
However, the staffing officer insisted that junior school teachers must be qualified to teach in secondary schools.
This includes achieving a minimum mean grade of C (plus) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and at least grade C (plus) in two teaching subjects.
The Director revealed that the 14,000 primary school teachers recently deployed to junior schools to address an acute shortage met these requirements.
TSC acting Chief Executive Officer Ms Eveleen Mitei said teachers were deployed to junior schools because there was a surplus of teachers in primary schools.
“That is why we allowed qualified primary school teachers to move to junior schools. There is no shortage of teachers in primary schools other than those who leave and are replaced. There is a bit of stability at primary level,” said Ms Mitei.
During the State House meeting that was held on Saturday, President Ruto directed Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to fast track crucial Bills to resolve issues in Competency Based Education (CBE).