Senators in Kenya has showed their concerns on teachers promotion delay by launching a probe into allegations of inordinate delay in Isiolo.
Isiolo senator Fatuma Dullo, who sought a statement from the Standing Committee on Education, said several teachers were appointed into acting capacity in different schools in the county from the year 2017 but are yet to be confirmed.
“The teachers have undertaken their roles with due diligence and dedication in an acting capacity since the appointment,” she stated.
Dullo added that the teachers have been serving in an acting capacity for years with no goodwill from the Teachers Service Commission to confirm their status.
She pointed out that the Public Service Commission Act of 2017, stipulates that public officers can only serve in an acting capacity for one to six months.
“Note, however, that the Commission has recently begun appointing other teachers to the same position with a clear disregard for the teachers who have held the same position for several years,” decried Dullo.
Dullo wants the committee probing the matter to establish if the TSC has standard, transparent procedures for promoting teachers, stating that many teachers have stagnated in certain job groups.
“How can the Teachers Service Commission put teachers in an acting capacity for years, especially headteachers and deputies and end up replacing them with junior teachers,” she posed.
She further wants the committee to establish the number of teachers who are waiting for promotion to headteachers and deputy headteacher positions in the country.
Dullo said TSC should come out clear on procedures it uses for the placement of teachers in various parts of the country.
In August, TSC announced it would promote 36,000 teachers, which will be done across nine grades.
The announcement came barely a week after some 14,000 teachers were promoted.
The promotions will be spread across primary and secondary schools as well as teachers’ training colleges.
The senior master position will have 12,716 positions for promotions, while some 10,819 teachers will be elevated to senior teachers in regular primary schools.
Another 700 slots have been left for the position of senior teacher in special needs schools, and 216 openings for the Grade C4 position of senior lecturer in teachers’ training colleges.
The commission also advertised 108 positions for senior principals and 34 positions for chief principals.
