The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced new changes in regards to maternity and paternity leave days for tutors across the country. Teachers are entitled to maternity leave from the date of confinement. This leave is exclusive of annual leave.
According to TSC boss, Nancy Macharia stated that female teachers will be granted four months maternity leave while male tutors will be handed three weeks.
A new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and teachers countrywide, will also see male teachers enjoying more paternity leave days of 21. Men are currently given 14 paternity leave days.
Nancy Macharia added also stated that teachers are eligible for 45 days of pre-adoptive leave, whereby the tutors would get their full salary from the date of adoption. She announced that all services pertaining to the leave application were available on the online platform.
“The Code of Regulation for teachers (2015) read together with the CBA (2021-2025), have specific provisions for maternity, paternity, and pre-adoptive leave. In line with the said provisions all teachers are eligible for only one leave at a time,” she stated.
ALSO READ: Construction of the 20-Bn Low-Cost Housing Project Officially Begins
Macharia also said that teachers shall not forfeit their annual leave on account of having taken maternity leave. Initially, female tutors were given a 90-calendar period from the date of confinement.
“This leave is exclusive of annual leave. The application for leave should be submitted to the DEO/MEO/DCE through the head of the institution at least one month before the leave is due and must have supporting medical documents,” read an excerpt from the TSC site.
Under the new CBA, TSC gave in to pressure to consider transfer requests for married couples to appropriate stations and locations subject to factors such as availability of vacancies and the need for a suitable replacement.
However, TSC has stuck to its guns that promotion of teachers shall be pegged on Career Progression Guidelines
However, teachers serving in Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) and hard-to-staff areas and are holding administrative positions in an acting capacity shall be promoted progressively until they obtain grades commensurate to their respective positions,” the circular dated September 10, 2021, states.