Bag of goodies for diploma teachers

More than 3,800 diploma teachers in secondary schools are set to fight it out for 1,000 promotions advertised by their employer.

It will be a welcome relief for many teachers who have stagnated in their job groups for up to six years compared to their counterparts who hold university degrees.

In a circular to regional heads, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Director Of Staffing Rita Wahome said interviews will be conducted next week.

“The interviews will be conducted from May 24 to May 28,” she said.

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary-General Akelo Misori said unlike degree holders, diploma teachers enter the service under Job Group C1 (T-scale 6), previously referred to as Job Group J.

Degree holders enter the service under Job Group C2 (T-scale 7), previously referred to as Job Group K.

TSC began moving diploma teachers to Job Group C2 under the career progression guidelines as outlined in the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). “For them to be promoted to Job Group C3 (T-scale 8), they must go through an interview process,” said Mr Misori.

The previous CBAs relied on Schemes of Service, which led to the stagnation of diploma teachers in one job group for three to six years.

“The guidelines subjected them to work in their entry position for three years before promotion, but the current progression guidelines require them to go through an interview to be moved to the next group,” he said.

TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia said the guidelines consider performance and hard work. The commission is implementing the last phase of the 2017-2021 CBA, which ends on June 30.

TSC was to carry out the promotions in July last year, but interviews were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic that had paralysed learning in the country.

The interviews were postponed again last month to allow the administration and marking of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations.

In the interviews, teachers must have certificates of registration and good conduct, clearance applications by the Higher Education Loans Board, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and from a credit reference bureau. They must also have a Kenya Revenue Authority Tax compliance certificate.

A fortnight ago, TSC promoted 16,152 teachers who had been interviewed between December last year and February.

They filled the positions of deputy principal 1 (T-scale 13- D3), deputy principal II (T-scale 12, D2), senior lecturer I (T-scale 12, D2), deputy principal III (T-scale 11-D1). There were also curriculum support officers (T-scale 10-C5). Others were head teachers (T-scale 10, C5), senior master IV (T-scale 9C4), deputy head teachers II (T-scale 9-C4), senior lecturer IV (T-scale 9-C4) and teachers in senior master I (T-scale 9- C4) job groups.

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