In order to enhance learning in junior secondary schools (JSS), where its pioneer class will begin grade 9 in January, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will assign PTE teachers early in the upcoming academic year.
TSC will broadcast a major marketing campaign in December that will address instructor grades not covered in its most recent ad.
Only teachers holding administrative positions, such as senior teachers, senior masters, deputy headteachers, and deputy principals, are eligible for the most current promotion advertisement.
Since 2019, in response to multiple complaints of stagnation from primary school teachers who upgraded their academic qualifications, the Commission has started using P1 instructors as a promotion.
In 2019, 2020 and 2021 a total of 1,000 P1 teachers were deployed each year to secondary schools while in 2022 to 2023 around 8,378 teachers were deployed to serve the first cohorts of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) in JSS.
The Commission outlined its preparedness for the transition to Grade 9, noting that it has recruited 48,550 teachers over the past two financial years.
Of these, 39,550 are interns, while 9,000 were employed on permanent terms. Also a total of 8,378 primary school teachers were deployed to JSS in the last two years, raising the total number of JSS teachers to 56,928.
Currently TSC is recruiting a total of 20,000 teachers on internship terms for junior secondary schools.
TSC has been strict on qualifications for one to teach in JSS. One must have degree in secondary option with C+ in KCSE as well as C+ in the two teaching subjects to be considered for deployment to junior school.
However the Commission has recently hinted at lowering the deployment academic requirements to address the severe teacher shortage in JSS.
This is after it generated lists from its database containing names of P1 teachers with various Diploma and Degree certificates to be considered for deployment to grade nine.
TSC collected additional details of the teachers from primary school Heads of Institutions (HOI’s).
In an excel template TSC wanted primary school heads to provide the teachers KCSE mean grade, specialization e.g. BED ARTS,BED Primary option , BED SCIENCE, BED ECDE, BED SNE, Dip in education, Dip SNE, Dip ECDE as well as two teaching subjects with mean grade for those with secondary option.
TSC Director of staffing Antonina Lentoijoni issued the following memo directing how the vetting and posting of teachers should be done during the deployment exercise.
DEPLOYMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS TO JUNIOR SCHOOLS
VETTING
Sub-County Directors should invite the candidates for verification of documents. Candidates are expected to present the following documents during verification:
i) Original and copy of the degree/diploma certificate;
ii) Original and copies of the academic transcripts;
iii) Original and copy of SNE qualification (where applicable);
iv) Original and copy of the KCSE certificate (or its equivalent);
v) A copy of the current payslip;
vi) A declaration by the Head of Institution that the teacher is currently serving in the school and is neither serving an interdiction nor undergoing a disciplinary process.
DEPLOYMENT
Deployment letters will be signed by the Sub-County Directors for teachers within the SubCounty.
For teachers who may be deployed outside the Sub-County, letters will be signed by the County Directors/Regional Director, Nairobi.
Consideration should be given to the following: –
i. Proximity to the current station. As much as possible, the teachers should be deployed to their current stations or those that are close to their current stations.
ii. Subject Combination of the teacher. Unless a station requires more than one teacher of the same subject combination, Sub-County Directors should not deploy teachers of similar subject combinations with those already posted to JS.
iii. Gender of the teacher. Endeavor to balance the gender of teachers posted to the same station.
iv. Teachers with SNE qualification should be posted to Special JS.
v. Deployment will be done using the templates shared. It is important to study the templates and where necessary seek clarification.
The Sub-County Director shall sign two deployment letters for each teacher. One letter shall be issued to the teacher while the second original letter shall be submitted together with other deployment documents for filing at the headquarters.
As you conduct the deployment exercise, note the following:
Teachers at Grades B5 and C1 who hold a Bachelor’s degree will be issued appointment letters to Grade C2 (Appendix I).
Teachers at Grade B5 who hold a Diploma in Education will be issued appointment letters to Grade Cl (Appendix Il).
Teachers at Grade C2 who hold a Bachelor’s degree and were promoted on or before 26th March 2021 will be issued with appointment letters for Grade C3 (Appendix 111).
Teachers at Grade Cl who hold a Diploma Certificate and were promoted on or before 26th March 2021 will be issued with appointment letters to Grade C2 (Appendix IV).
Teachers at Grade Cl who hold a Diploma Certificate and have not completed three or more years will be issued with deployment letters. Additionally, teachers who hold a Diploma Certificate and at Grade C2 and above will be issued with deployment letters (Appendix V).
Teachers at Grades C3 and above who hold a Bachelors degree will be issued with deployment letters. (Appendix V).
POSTING, ENTRY/EXIT REPORTS MODULE
i. Immediately the teachers are deployed to JS, the County Directors shall initiate posting on the Posting, Entry/ Exit Reports Module to the Sub-County. The Sub-County Director shall post the teachers to JS.
ii. The Heads of Institution releasing the teachers must immediately exit them through the submission of Exit Reports to enable the receiving Head of Institution to submit the Entry Report.
iii. All these processes must be conducted online through the Posting, Entry/Exit Reports Module as the Commission no longer recognizes nor process hard copy casualties.
iv. Where the teacher is retained in the same station, the Head of Institution shall exit the teacher from primary school and submit Entry Report for the JS.
SUBMISSION OF DEPLOYMENT DOCUMENTS
After the conclusion of the deployment exercise, the following documents shall be submitted to the Director Staffing by County Directors/Regional Director, Nairobi:
i) Certified copy of the degree/diploma certificate;
ii) Certified copy of the academic transcripts;
iii) Certified copy of the KCSE certificate or its equivalent;
iv) Original copy of the Deployment letter generated as per the template issued;
v) A declaration by the Head of Institution that the teacher is currently serving in the school and is neither serving an interdiction nor undergoing a disciplinary process;
vi) List of the deployed teachers clearly showing teacher’s details in the order presented below should be submitted in MS Excel editable format to Director Staffing through [email protected]. (Appendix VII)
Serial Number (S/No.)
Registration Number (TSC No.)
Teacher’s Name
Teacher’s Grade (B5, C1, C2, C3, C4 C5)
Gender
Disability Status
Previous Station (Primary)
Current Station (JSS)
Sub-County Posted
County vii) A summary report on deployment (Appendix VIII)
STAFFING POSITIONS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
You are required to ensure that staffing positions in primary schools are updated and teacher rationalization is conducted within 14 days after deployment to ensure that teaching/learning process continues.
ANTONINA LENTOIJONI
Ag. DIRECTOR STAFFING