TSC Sets Record Straight on P1 and Diploma Teachers Demotion Reports
On Tuesday, August 22, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) denied widespread rumors that it planned to demote primary school heads without a bachelor’s degree.
It further diluted a news article that claimed TSC had begun a new data collection operation to weed out teachers with P1 certificates and diplomas.
“We wish to inform the public to ignore this fake article being circulated through social media,” TSC stated.
After the President’s Working Group on Education Reforms (PWPER) suggested that a single principal lead nursery, primary, and junior schools, the false and misleading report spread.
The Ministry of Education is set to embrace a Comprehensive School System (PP1—GGrade 9), integrating Pre-Primary, Primary School, and Junior School into a unified institution. As per the recommendation by PWPER, the term ‘Secondary’ will be eliminated from the existing Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary Schools
Teachers expressed concern that the proposed changes would require principals to further their education.
However, in its recommendation to President William Ruto, PWPER did not suggest teachers be demoted due to new academic requirements.
To develop and retain effective teachers, the task force recommended that the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with TSC, institute a one-year mandatory retooling program for all pre-service training graduates to comply with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
TSC will also need to hire three deputies in each school, but it has not yet disclosed which instructors will be promoted based on years of service or academic performance.
The Commission reportedly requested that school administrators include their highest level of education (P1, Bachelor’s, or Master’s) in an Excel spreadsheet.
TSC assures the public that this request is not intended to reward educators with the highest academic credentials.
TSC ceased hiring teachers with a primary school certificate and instituted a new requirement of a Primary Education Diploma.
Teachers who have been employed with a certificate are encouraged to further their education, as TSC will cease employing P1 teachers permanently by 2024.
TSC Sets Record Straight on P1 and Diploma Teachers Demotion Reports