Parliament urged to shield TSC from political interference

Kibra MP Peter Orero addresses journalists during a public participation forum on education reforms at Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay. [James Omoro, Standard].

The National Assembly has been told to make legislation that protects the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) from interference by politicians.

This is one of the major recommendations which came during a public participation exercise convened by the National Assembly Committee on Education at Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay Town to seek views on education reform bills.

In the exercise chaired by the committee acting chairman Peter Orero, education stakeholders said TSC should be given freedom to exercise its mandate.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Executive Secretary for Homa Bay Branch, Hilder Otieno, expressed concern that politicians are stripping the TSC of its mandate to employ teachers.

Otieno argued that the trend in which politicians dish out teacher employment letters is tainting the image of the country.

“It is absurd to find politicians dishing out teacher employment letters, yet there is a constitutionally established commission that should employ teachers. We want Parliament to protect the TSC from interference by politicians,” Otieno said.

She said giving politicians teacher employment letters is a recipe for unfairness in the recruitment of teachers. The Executive Secretary argued that politicians lack knowledge of the right criteria for employing teachers.

Homa Bay residents share views during a public participation forum on education reforms at Tom Mboya University. [James Omoro, Standard]

Otieno attributed the habit to the ongoing disparity in employment of teachers. In the disparity, some teachers stay without employment for over ten years after completing their training, while others are employed one or two years after their training.

“Allowing politicians to issue employment letters leads to the recruitment of teachers who should not be employed. It leads to unfairness because a teacher can be employed one year after completing training, yet another who completed the training many years ago is left out because of a politician’s interest,” Otieno added.

She said the only remedy was to accord TSC independence in discharging its duties.

Other recommendations included that deputy county commissioners (DCCs) should stop chairing sub-county education committees.

Orero noted that Kenyans in many counties wanted locals to chair county education boards.

“Kenyans do not want DCCs to chair sub-county education committees, not only in Homa Bay but in many other counties we have visited. Instead, they want the board to be chaired by a local with vast education knowledge and who understands the county well,” Orero said.

There were mixed views where some teachers wanted junior secondary schools to be transferred to secondary schools while others wanted them to remain in primary schools.

The Kibra MP assured the residents that their views will be given due consideration.

"This committee respects the views of Kenyans. Be assured that the views given will be given the consideration they deserve," Orero said.