TSC to sack poorly performing school head teachers

Education PS Belio Kipsang and Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia converse during dialogue on quality and learning outcomes in Kenya at Reddison Blue, Nairobi on 02/02/2018(Jenipher Wachie,Standard)

Thousands of head teachers whose schools consistently post poor exam results now stand the risk of losing their jobs.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia yesterday warned that school heads who do not meet targets set in the performance contracts they signed will be fired.

Teachers whose subjects trail in performance in KCPE and KCSE exams will not be spared either, as the commission moves to radically streamline teaching and learning in all public schools.

“We cannot continue recycling headteachers whose schools do not perform. Going forward we will compel such school heads to exit the service,” said Ms Macharia.

Currently, according to performance contracts signed by the school administrators, the harshest punishment meted on a headteacher whose school posts poor results is missing out on promotion. 

A TSC circular sent to county directors last year stated that secondary school heads who post a mean score of less than three will be relieved of management responsibilities and taken back to class to teach.

Redeployed

The circular instructed that that all heads of the over 8,000 secondary and 23,000 primary schools whose institutions have declining performance be redeployed.

The TSC boss spoke on the sidelines of the National Dialogue on Education and Learning Outcome in Nairobi yesterday. She said the commission will not compromise on the performance of its employees in an effort to boost the quality of learning.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang was present at the event attended by various education stakeholders.

Ms Macharia said apart from the performance contracts signed by the head teachers of both primary and secondary schools, the commission has rolled out an appraisal system for all teachers.

“The learners have a part to play in the performance contracts as they will also appraise their teachers. They will indicate what time the teachers went to class for the lessons,” she said.

Kipsang said the government is committed to ensuring literacy levels are improved and all children receive quality education.