Why TSC Is Planning To End Recruiting Teachers On Permanent Terms

By Getrude Mathayo / Published June 1, 2023 | 6:54 am

KEY POINTS

Primary school teachers on permanent terms have a starting salary of 35,000 shillings while those on contract are paid 15,000 shillings stiped. Those deployed in secondary schools on permanent terms start with a salary of 55,000 shillings while the ones on contract start at 20,000 shillings.

The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, may now resort to employing teachers only after a move made by the Senate. Instead of the traditional permanent and pensionable basis, the Senate National Cohesion Committee proposed that teachers be hired on a contract basis.

The legislators argued that the shift would help the TSC to maximize its limited budgetary allocation while addressing the pressing need for more teachers. According to recent reports from the TSC, the deficit of teachers currently stands at a staggering 111,870 teachers.

TSC CEO Nancy Macharia acknowledged the potential benefits of contract employment for teachers. However, she highlighted a legal limitation that prevents the commission from keeping teachers on contract for an extended period.

Macharia explained that, by law, teachers would need to transition into permanent and pensionable roles after two years. This ensures that teachers are granted the necessary job security and retirement benefits they deserve.

The Senate National Cohesion Committee told the head of the TSC, Nancy Macharia, to find out what law problems need to be fixed so that teachers can be hired on a contract basis. This, they said, would allow the commission to hire more teachers with its limited budget.

Mrs. Macharia said that the shortage still exists even though the commission hired 36,000 teachers earlier this year. She said that 47,329 teachers are needed in elementary schools and 64,541 teachers are needed in secondary schools.

The commission requires an annual budgetary allocation of 14.8 billion shillings for the recruitment of teachers. The legislators also said by hiring teachers on a contractual basis, TSC can introduce specialized expertise and fresh perspectives into the classrooms.

The head of the TSC also said that by law, the commission can’t keep teachers on contract for too long and that after two years, they would be made permanent and eligible for a salary.

“Because we don’t have enough money, we’ve never had enough teachers. Give us the money, and we’ll find people.” Mrs. Macharia said.

Mrs. Macharia told the committee that records for the 36,000 new teachers are being worked on and that not all of them have been added to the salary yet. Only the files of 20,900 teachers are complete.

Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago said that the Employment Act should be changed to get rid of any legal barriers to letting teachers be hired on a contract, with clear rules about pay and length of service.

“We can’t let unions hold us hostage. “There are kids who need to learn and Kenyans who need to work,” he said.

Tharaka Nithi Senator Mahvenda Gataya said that a plan to hire people on a contract should be brought to the Cabinet for approval so that people who work for a certain amount of time can be hired permanently every year.