26,871 Teachers Transfers to Home Counties Pending Despite Delocalization Repeal
According to Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, 26,871 teachers have yet to be moved back to their home counties due to a lack of suitable placements, despite the repeal of the delocalization policy.
By the 30th of June, 46,926 primary and secondary school teachers had requested to be transferred back to their home counties, yet only 20,055 had been transferred back.
Mr. Machogu stated last week before the Senate that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will make sure that the station from which the teacher is leaving has a suitable replacement and that the station to which the teacher has requested a transfer has an opening.
He stated in response to a question from Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey about the status of the delocalization policy that this would allow the commission to ensure fair distribution and effective utilization of teachers throughout the nation, benefiting all learners.
Machogu also mentioned that the transfer policy, which had previously been implemented, “is no longer in effect.”
Mr. Machogu pointed out that the TSC, while carrying out its responsibility to relocate and assign teachers, mentioned that it must guarantee a fair allocation and effective utilization of teachers in every public primary education institution.
This step aims to ensure that students across the nation can avail themselves of quality education in accordance with the provisions outlined in Article 43 of the Constitution.
The CS stated that the TSC had implemented delocalization, in which teachers were transferred to schools outside their place of origin, in order to promote national cohesion and integration, prevent conflicts of interest in the administration of schools, and address teacher shortages in certain regions of the country.
Mr. Machogu mentioned that teachers who intend to transfer from one institution to another should submit a transfer request. He went on to say that the goal of ensuring fair distribution and effective utilization of teachers would guide the process of transferring teachers between institutions.
The TSC may also consider the availability of vacancies at the proposed station, the need for replacement, existing staffing standards, medical reasons, and other factors.
The CS stated that once a teacher applies for a transfer to a preferred county, it is the responsibility of TSC to ensure that there are suitable vacancies, replacements, and a balance of staff across the country before approving the transfer.
Mr. Machogu stated that the intention behind the current approach was to discourage the widespread movement of teachers from one location to another, as such actions could potentially disrupt the learning environment within an institution, ultimately affecting the students’ educational experience.
He elaborated that the commission was actively reviewing transfer requests using a systematic and well-coordinated process. Additionally, Mr. Machogu pointed out that the shortage of appropriate replacements posed a significant challenge, particularly in situations involving school principals.
At the primary level, the TSC has received 35,959 transfer requests from teachers, of which 17,942 have been transferred and 18,017 are still waiting due to a lack of qualified replacements. In post-primary 10, 967 instructors have requested a transfer, but only 2,113 have been moved.
According to TSC records, from January 2023 to the present, a total of 1,005 teachers who requested to be transferred to Nandi County have been transferred in accordance with their requests and replaced as necessary.
Mr. Machogu stated that there are currently 828 transfer petitions from across the nation to be transferred to Nandi.
26,871 Teachers Transfers to Home Counties Pending Despite Delocalization Repeal
