Teachers who have served for at least five years and have been delocalized are being transferred to their home counties by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
This term, a number of teachers who requested for inter-county transfers received transfer letters despite not having been assigned swap partners.
The Code of Regulations for Teachers, Section 64, deals with teacher transfers (CORT).
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The availability of a replacement, as determined by the Curriculum Based Establishment for secondary schools and staffing rules for primary schools, is always a factor in teacher transfers.
A primary school teacher can be moved within the county, but secondary school teachers can be transferred to any county.
TSC began implementing its delocalization policy in 2016. The Commission began placing newly hired teachers outside of their respective counties.
This group can now breathe a sigh of relief because their employment now permits them to communicate with their relatives via transfers back home.
TSC delocalized school heads who had stayed too long in the same operating station and county in 2018.
After protests from teachers unions and other political groups, the initiative was stalled and then suspended.
The Commission started a nationwide mass transfer effort last month.
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia had directed that the staff transfer and balance exercise begin immediately and be completed by May 9, 2022.
In a circular dated 4th April 2022, Macharia said the process of staffing of schools will be guided by ‘staffing norms’ to achieve the optimal utilization of teachers and reduce disparities in teacher distribution.
“Despite numerous efforts by the Commission to address teacher shortages across the country, the situation is always compounded by irregular teacher distribution thereby, creating an imbalance that affects delivery of service in the teaching sector. Further, the teacher staffing imbalance continues to limit the initiative toward the equitable distribution of the teaching Resource. If unchecked, this will adversely impact learning outcomes in our learning Institutions,” said Macharia.
However guided by Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) data sources say the teaching workload for teachers in most schools is above the required number.
Macharia had ordered County Directors to work with their County Directors to undertake teacher rationalization with a view to ensure an equitable re-distribution across the schools.
The Commission has suspended the delocalization policy due to outcries from teachers who are vehemently opposed to it claiming it is tearing their families apart.
However she said priority will be given to teachers who have applied for transfer and are eligible for transfer.
She said incase a teacher meets the criteria for transfer the factors to be considered will be;
‘First in, first out factor’ ‘Gender balance where applicable’ and ‘Teacher’s security where applicable‘.
Macharia outlined the following factors to be considered during the exercise.
1. The age of the teacher:
Teachers aged 56 years and above will be exempted from the transfer out of the area of their current work stations.
2. Health status:
Teachers with proven cases of terminal illness will be exempt from transfers out of the current sub county of work.
However, the Committee will evaluate each case on its own merit taking into consideration the supporting Medical documents, the availability and accessibility to the appropriate medical facilities amongst other factors in the proposed station.
3. Teachers with Disabilities;
Teachers with disability with the necessary certification will be exempted from transfers outside their current station sub County.
When transferring teachers, priority shall be given to schools within the sub county within the targeted shortage before transferring out of the sub county.
4. Family considerations:
Transfer couples who are employees of the Commission and have formally declared their marital status in the same neighborhood where possible.
5. Length of stay since first appointment:
The teacher must have served in a station for a period of not less than three (3) years and five (5) years for North Eastern and other areas respectively since first appointment; unless otherwise authorized by the Commission Secretary.
In cases where teachers meet the criteria for transfer, the Commission will consider
