By Augustine Oduor
National schools will be the first to sign performance contracts as Teachers Service Commission (TSC) seeks to roll out the exercise in phases.
Commission Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni said a high level stakeholders meeting is scheduled for next month bringing together teachers’ unions and associations to discuss the modalities.
Mr Lengoiboni said the next group to sign performance contracts would be county schools then district and finally primary schools. “In the end we will have teachers of all levels sign performance contracts, which will ensure that those who work hard are recognised,” he said.
He said once adopted, performance contracting for teachers will improve quality of education.
Speaking during a prize-giving day at Nyahururu Boys High School, Lengoiboni said teachers and schools already set performance targets to cover the syllabus and improve examination results.
“Performance contracting would only formalise the process,” he said.
Opposed
Teachers have opposed the contracts arguing that they are hired on permanent terms and this would change their employment status.
But the Parliamentary Committee on Education Science and Technology has instructed TSC to roll out performance contracting at the same pace with county structures.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers and the giant Kenya National Union of Teachers already said teachers would not sign any unnecessary contracts.
“Teachers are already on contract on the basis of schemes of service and lesson plans. We will not sign any contract again,” said Kuppet National Chairman Amboko Milemba.
In a move to address teachers’ fear over performance contracts Lengoiboni said no teacher would be sacked. “Performance contracting is not a job contract. All we want is to empower teachers to work even harder in their areas,” he said.
