What is your view on the teacher internship programme now that the courts have consistently insisted that it is illegal?
Teacher internship enabled newly qualified teachers to gain valuable exposure, mentorship and opportunities to develop the skills required in the classroom. They bridged the gap between teacher training and practical classroom experience.
However, the courts raised concerns about how the teacher policy was being implemented. As a public institution, the Teachers Service Commission must respect and comply with court decisions, and we are still engaging through the legal process.
How should TSC address teacher shortages after courts blocked the internship programme?
We need sustainable parliamentary funding to recruit teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, while respecting court decisions and legal processes.
We will continue collaborating with Parliament and seeking its support, as it has done previously, which enabled the Commission to recruit more than 100,000 teachers. There are teachers who say they have stagnated in the same job grade for many years, with some claiming the stagnation has lasted as long as 17 years.
The longest period of stagnation currently is about eight years, dating back to July 2017. All our teachers were promoted during the implementation of our first Collective Bargaining Agreement, when the new job-grade conversions were introduced. Parliament had appropriated Sh54 billion to facilitate the promotion of teachers.
Why are teachers experiencing prolonged stagnation despite the three-year statutory progression period?
That is the minimum period within which an eligible teacher can be considered for progression, subject to the applicable career guidelines, vacancies, establishment and available funding. It is true, however, that we still have teachers who have stagnated, and that is something we must address.
What are the underlying issues that have caused the delayed teachers from moving upwards?
The Career Progression Guidelines of 2018 restrict classroom progression. There has not been a sufficient pathway for classroom teachers to progress to the highest grades while remaining classroom practitioners.
Under the existing structure, if a teacher wants to progress beyond certain grades, they are required to move into administration. For example, in the secondary school structure, we have common cadres at C2 and C3, but from C3 upwards, progression is largely through competitive interviews.
How will you improve teacher promotions?
It requires reforms that create flexible pathways beyond administrative positions for eligible teachers. We will introduce two flexible career pathways where teachers who are excellent in the classroom should be able to progress to the highest levels without necessarily becoming administrators, while those who want to take administrative positions should also have that opportunity.
However, there are no blanket or instant promotions. At entry level, there are grades that are automatic, but progression beyond those grades depends on competitive processes, establishment and funding.
At primary level, for example, teachers progress through B1 to C1, while diploma teachers in secondary education have entry grades within the C2 and C3 structure. Beyond the automatic progression points, ensuring transparent progression based on competence.
You have been involved in teacher welfare and mental health and psychosocial support are increasingly important.
Teacher workload has a direct relationship with the number of teachers available in our schools. The Commission already has wellness programmes, and we want to strengthen them from the national level down to the county and sub-county levels.
How will TSC address teacher workload and psychological wellbeing?
We will strengthen wellness programmes on colleagues who may be at risk and provide early psychosocial support. But we cannot discuss workload without addressing the teacher shortage. When a school is understaffed, the teachers who are available inevitably carry a heavier workload.
The Commission will continue advocating for sustainable funding to recruit adequate numbers of teachers and reduce workload caused by persistent teacher shortages. Teacher welfare is not only about salaries.
It is also about ensuring that teachers have manageable workloads, access to psychosocial support and an environment where they can perform effectively.
How will you separate governance from management after nineteen years within TSC management?
Management is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Commission, implementing policies and ensuring that resolutions of the Commission are carried out.
I will provide strategic direction, oversee management, safeguard independence and enforce accountability under established laws.
But many management officials have been your colleagues?
Having worked with people for many years does not mean that one cannot hold them accountable. Public institutions operate on systems, laws and procedures rather than personal relationships.
I would therefore transition with a clear understanding of what belongs to management and what belongs to the Commission. Once I leave management, I would approach the Commissioner role from the perspective of governance, oversight and strategic leadership.
How will you address delays and corruption allegations surrounding teachers’ retirement benefits?
It is unfortunate when a teacher retires and experiences delays in receiving their benefits. That is one of the processes that requires reform. We will automate pension processing, strengthen controls and enable retirees to track applications electronically through completion.
Even where physical files are being used, there is supposed to be a file movement register. Therefore, a file should be traceable, no?
We need to strengthen our integrity systems, internal controls and processes so that the system itself protects teachers from such practices. One of the reforms we need to champion is the automation of the pension process from beginning to end, from application and processing to payment through the relevant government systems. Once that is achieved, a teacher will be able to track the status of their pension.
Why have P1 teachers struggled to secure employment opportunities?
Curriculum changes reduced primary vacancies, while Junior Secondary created greater shortages requiring targeted recruitment and teacher redeployment.
When Classes 7 and 8 ceased to exist under the previous structure, the six remaining primary classes still had the teachers who had previously been intended to serve eight classes.
That created a situation where we had more primary teachers than the establishment required. Consequently, recruitment of primary teachers has largely been through replacement whenever teachers exit the service.
That is why the Commission undertook targeted recruitment to address shortages there. For P1 teachers seeking opportunities, the Commission is working to ensure that qualified teachers are deployed where they are needed.
We will continue creating vacancies through replacement and other staffing interventions so that qualified primary school teachers can eventually access employment opportunities.
How will you make teacher promotions more transparent and auditable?
End-to-end automation will track promotions, stagnation, criteria and progression, enabling teachers and stakeholders to identify gaps.
With automation, we should be able to track who was promoted, when they were promoted, the criteria used, the stage they have reached and how many teachers remain in stagnation.
That creates transparency. People can audit the process and identify gaps. It also reduces the possibility of manipulation because there is a clear trail showing how decisions were made.
