TSC, Knut in talks to iron out row on terms of service

Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia. (Willis Awandu, Standard)

A five-day meeting that will decide whether the more than 300,000 teachers will continue to sign the controversial performance appraisal tools kicks off tomorrow in Naivasha.

The make or break meeting between Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) will also decide the fate of automatic promotion for teachers.

Also at stake is whether President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive on delocalisation of teachers will be heeded when Knut meets TSC to iron out contentious professional issues that threatened to disrupt learning in third term.

The president directed Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed to revise delocalisation policy saying it had affected some families.

More than 1,500 teachers have been moved since January in a new policy by TSC to improve quality of teaching and national cohesion.

The meeting was set by both parties after the August 23 talks at the employers’ head office.

Knut threatened a nationwide strike to push for review of the professional policies that it termed retrogressive.

The meeting will however discuss matters relating to transfers of teachers, career progression issues, Teacher Performance (TP) and Appraisal Development (TPAD) programmes.

Sunday Standard has established that TSC legal team and top management officials were locked up in marathon meetings as they prepared to face off with Knut.

Knut has listed five key issues­–delocalisation, promotions, performance tools, career guidelines and stakeholder engagements– where amicable solutions must be derived to restore industrial harmony.

“We want to resolve these issues once and for all,” said Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion.

He said Knut’s position has not changed on implementation of the appraisal tools.

TSC commissioned an audit to assess the level of acceptance and effectiveness of the appraisal tools, and the findings will form the case it shall pitch to the union.

Sources at the Commission revealed that the appraisal tools will only be amended and shall not be abolished, as Knut is demanding.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia last month tasked a section of her staff to conduct a review of the appraisal tools.

“To strengthen the implementation of PC and TPAD, I have instructed the TSC Director, Quality Assurance and Standards Reuben Nthamburi to urgently convene a meeting with primary and secondary schools leadership to address any emerging issues,” said Dr Macharia

Among the expected findings from the TSC audit is whether field officers are familiar with the TPAD uploading process, whether they posses necessary skills and if they are capable of assisting teachers to comply.