TSC evaluates appraisal tools ahead of Knut meet

The teachers’ employer is rushing to assess the effectiveness of the contentious performance appraisal tools ahead of a planned retreat with a union.

The Standard has established that top Teachers Service Commission (TSC) officials had been dispatched to all the 47 counties, with a list of questions to field officers and school heads to assess the successes and failures of the appraisal tools that the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has rejected.

The questions will be analysed to generate feedback, which will be tabled during the five-day meeting to be attended by TSC and Knut officials.

Also to be discussed in the meeting will be promotions, career progression and transfers.

Knut and TSC set a conciliation meeting to take place between September 30 and October 5 to iron out contentious labour relations disputes, among them the implementation of Teacher Performance and Appraisal Development (TPAD) and Performance Contracts (PC) tools.

Knut has rejected the tools, arguing that the kits had affected the productivity of teachers and the performance of learners.

With only a few days to the meeting, TSC has dispatched the TPAD survey instruments to all the counties to get feedback.

“You are kindly requested to respond to the items in this questionnaire as truthfully as possible and your response shall be treated confidentially and will only be used for the purpose of decision-making on the appraisal system at TSC,” reads the document.

It makes reference to TSC Code of Regulations, which mandates the employer to review criteria, guidelines and tools for performance appraisal from time to time.

The questions have been sent to sub-county directors, curriculum support officers, secondary school principals, their deputies, and primary school heads and their deputies.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed last week asked both TSC and Knut to embrace dialogue for harmonious relations.

The finer details of the TSC inquiry requires field officers to state the degree of effectiveness of the tools for head teachers in their areas of work and whether they contribute to the overall education objectives.

The employer also wants field officers to find out whether head teachers understand the appraisal tools, if they have embraced the kits and whether the sensitisation provided is adequate.

The commission also wants to understand if field officers are familiar with the TPAD uploading process, whether they possess the necessary skills and if they are capable of assisting teachers to comply.

TSC wants the field officers to recommend areas of improvement to the implementation of the appraisal tools, with each official given a chance to list two ways.

A recent report from the TSC head office to all county directors on the performance appraisals results conducted last year unearthed findings for action. The number of teachers appraised increased from 238,144 in the third term last year to 266,655 in the second term this year.