To renew licences, teachers 'must have healthcare skills'

Shirley Poriot, a standard one teacher at Nalekat Primary. TSC wants them to understand the concept of health literacy, social determinants of health and comprehensive school health. [File, Standard]

Knowledge in healthcare will be among the considerations for promotions and renewing teaching licences for all 340,000 secondary school teachers. 

This is a strategy by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s medical plan for secondary school students.

The commission wants all teachers on its payroll to undergo mandatory training that would improve their understanding on school health and safety of learners.

The training is part of seven sections of professional training standards whose success would guarantee renewed teaching licences and inform promotions based on overall performance.

Other areas that TSC wants teachers trained in are promotion of professionalism throughout their careers, understanding of competency-based curriculum and grasp of conduct of assessment and reporting.

Knowledge in supporting inclusive and collaborative education practices, promotion of instructional leadership and administration, and financial literacy skills are also key areas of training.

The training will be staggered over five years, according to details contained in the Teacher Professional Development Policy Framework (2018).

Overall, the TSC policy will require teachers to demonstrate basic skills in life-saving measures such as breathing emergencies, resuscitation and cardio-pulmonary techniques, bleeding and shock management, splinting, burns and scalds, and first aid equipment.

Insurance plan

The policy framework was released just a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled the multi-billion-shilling health insurance plan for all secondary school learners.

The cover starts immediately schools open for the second term of the year.

The revelation that only teachers who exhibit a proper grasp of health and safety matters will have their teaching licences renewed is a major boost for the Sh4 billion medical plan.

Commission CEO Nancy Macharia said all teachers would be required to complete training in all modules to be certified.

The new policy fits into ‘UhuruCare’ by laying ground for uptake of learners' medical insurance through enforcing school health and safety for all teachers.

The rules will require all teachers to understand infectious diseases and their sources with a view to reducing learners’ exposure to these conditions through education.

The development is seen to give impetus to the medical cover for secondary schools by encouraging teachers to embrace health awareness, encourage students to stay healthy and cut costs.

Finer details reveal that all teachers on the Government payroll will be required to demonstrate understanding of sexuality health education, HIV and Aids, and be able to teach learners about risky sexual behaviour.

It will also be mandatory for teachers to understand nutrition and healthy eating, and be able to educate learners on health risks associated with consumption of unhealthy foods - such as diabetes, cancer and heart conditions.

Details of the cover show that students’ enhanced package will include out-patient, inpatient, dental, optical, daycare, local road ambulance and emergency air rescue services.

Cases that require overseas air evacuation, general and specialised services, funeral expenses and group life insurance are also part of the package.