KNUT, KUPPET Tell MP’s to Refrain From Interfering With TSC’s Role in Recruitment of 35,000 teachers.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Kuppet have requested that MPs refrain from interfering with TSC’s role in the recruitment of 35,000 teachers.
This comes days after members of parliament cautioned the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to the impending hiring of 35,550 new personnel for primary and junior secondary schools.
The MPs informed TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia that corruption has always plagued the recruitment and advancement of teachers at the expense of merit and experience, and that this practice should not be repeated in this year’s recruitment.
The National Assembly Committee on Education, chaired by Mr. Julius Melly (Tinderet), lamented that for a long time, promotions and recruitment depended on how much one was ready to pay or who one knew at TSC, leaving thousands of qualified and deserving teachers unemployed.
Some teachers obtain permanent jobs just three months after graduating from college, while others who graduated as recently as 2010 are still unemployed due to corruption.
“Promotions of teachers have been riddled with corruption. There are those who joined the profession recently but, within a few years, have risen through the ranks just because they know who to talk to and what to do,” Mr Melly said.
Mr. Timothy Kipchumba (Marakwet West) instructed the head of the TSC to ensure that this year’s recruitment is conducted fairly so that deserving teachers are given the opportunity to serve their country.
“Ensure that the process is free, fair and credible because this committee will be judged harshly if the process doesn’t go the right way,” Mr Kipchumba said.
Last Friday, TSC announced the availability of 9,000 permanent and pensionable positions for secondary school teachers and 1,000 positions for primary school tutors.
In addition, TSC will hire 21,550 teacher interns for junior secondary schools and 4,000 for elementary schools.
Nabii Nabwera, member of parliament for Lugari, asserted that hundreds of teachers have remained in the same job for years without advancement, while others are serving in acting capacities without approval from TSC.
“How is the promotion being done because I have teachers in my constituency who have been acting as principals for the past seven years,” Mr Nabwera said.
MPs accused the commission of engaging in unfair recruiting practices, in which new college graduates are given an unfair advantage over others who graduated more than a decade ago.
Rebecca Tonkei, the representative for Narok County, stated that there had been a public outcry regarding TSC placements in some locales, with many candidates frequently alleging that they had been overlooked throughout the recruiting process in favor of candidates from other regions.
Representative of Nyamira County, Jerusha Momanyi, stated that there are teachers who have worked in her constituency for more than three years with no disciplinary issues but have never been promoted.
Ms. Macharia informed the MPs, however, that the TSC recruiting process has always been fair and open. She conceded, however, that unscrupulous persons typically take advantage of the country’s high unemployment rate to write forged letters to teachers.
She informed the MPs that the commission’s recruitment procedures are stringent, noting that numerous TSC officers who had been proven to have committed acts of corruption in the past were fired.
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“We have sought the assistance of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and we also urge members to forward any such cases to us for action,” Ms Macharia said.
Regarding the advancement of teachers, Mr. Macharia stated that there is a clearly defined mechanism outlining the process and stressed that no instructor has ever remained in the same post for decades.
The TSC director also refuted reports that 13,000 teachers who were eligible for advancements were held back owing to commissioners’ infighting.
She attributed the delay to the hectic academic schedule, but she vowed to implement the pending promotions as soon as the ongoing national examinations were completed.
According to Ms. Macharia, every teacher is entitled to a promotion after three years, and TSC does not demand a fee.
“We have an appraisal system. If a teacher has had a successful service, then he or she should be automatically promoted after three years because that is their right,” Ms Macharia said.
KNUT, KUPPET Tell MP’s to Refrain From Interfering With TSC’s Role in Recruitment of 35,000 teachers.