Forget it! No more relaxed holidays, TSC insists

Newly appointed Teachers service commission CEO Nancy Macharia. (Photo: Beverlyne Musili/Standard)

Teaches Service Commission (TSC) has insisted that it will not relax the new regulations that rule out interference of normal learning programmes with non-academic activities.

Following protests from teachers' unions, the commission has stated that the new rules will not be changed and warned that absence of a teacher from school without documentation will be met with strict disciplinary action.

"Absence from school by a teacher or head of institution, including on official assignments should be documented and entered in the school log book," said the Commission's head of Communication Kihumba Kamotho.

He said from now on, activities like head teachers' conferences that are usually held during school days will happen during the holidays because they keep heads of institutions away from their places of work for upto a week.

At least 7,000 school principals and 22,000 head teachers are usually away during this annual event.

"This is intended to strengthen supervision of learning activities, which is basic to implementation of curriculum," said Kamotho.

The new regulations are in a circular signed by TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia (pictured).

But Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has protested the new rules saying it is a plot to punish teachers. "Teachers are not refusing to teach but the focus should be on employing more teachers not making them work on weekends and holidays," Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion said.