Primary school teachers who were recently transferred to junior secondary schools to teach Grade 7 students will have to wait longer to begin enjoying their new salary.
Following the verification of their documentation by their sub-county directors, who were given lists of teachers who had been shortlisted, the first cohorts, who submitted their applications by February 6, 2023, were assigned to junior secondary schools.
The teachers were given letters of deployment (posting), which indicated that they would begin at job group C2.
In a circular dated February 17, 2023, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) reported that it had received a total of 10,833 requests from qualified primary school teachers seeking to be deployed to junior secondary schools.
To hasten payment of deployed teachers TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia gave clear directive to Sub County Directors and Primary Headteachers releasing and receiving the teachers.
“Immediately the teachers are deployed to JSS, 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 JSS,” said TSC CEO Nancy Macharia in the circular.
She directed the Heads of Institution (HOI) releasing the teachers to exit them as soon as possible by submitting exit reports so that the Head of Institution receiving them could submit the entry report.
She stated that all of these procedures must be carried out online using the Posting and Entry/Exit Reports Module because the Commission no longer accepts or handles hard copy casualties.
“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 JSS,” said Macharia.
Unfortunately, it has come to light that some teachers’ applications to teach in junior secondary schools were granted without the appropriate documentation.
According to specifics, some teachers were deployed despite not meeting the TSC qualifications to teach in junior secondary.
As a result, the Commission is physically reviewing the documents for the teachers who have been deployed at its headquarters in Upper Hill, Nairobi.
The Commission will verify the authenticity of the application-related papers to make sure there are no frauds.
The TSC code of regulations for teachers will be followed in terms of disciplining those who are found to be at fault.
It usually takes two to three months for documents to be verified at the headquarters. The teachers who have been deployed should anticipate receiving their new salary in arrears beginning in June.
The Commission will also arrange for the deployed teachers to receive training in competency-based assessment (CBA) and competency-based curriculum (CBC).
The Commission is actively hiring trainers to provide pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to JSS teachers in counties.
Applicants must fit the requirements listed below in order to be taken into consideration:
- Must be a practicing teacher employed by the Teachers Service Commission to teach in a public school or teacher training college within the county.
- At least a Bachelor’s degree in education or a BSc/BA with PGDE in the specified subject/learning area.
- Must have at least five (5) years teaching experience.
- Must be proficiency in ICT packages such as MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-PowerPoint among others
- Must NOT be serving as head or deputy of an institution.
- The following will be an added advantage:
- Being a SMASE County trainer
- Being a School Based Teacher Support System (SBTSS) trainer.
- Being a CBC Champion teacher.
- Being a subject panelist with KICD
- Being a KNEC Examiner in the respective subject area cluster
- Being an ICT Champion teacher.
- Resourcefulness in terms of publication of books and periodicals in the relevant subject/learning area
The second cohort of PTE teachers in practice, whose applications were due on March 22, 2023, have not yet been deployed by TSC to junior secondary schools.
After receiving application lists from the Commission, TSC subcounty directors will simultaneously verify documents and post them.
Primary school teachers in job group C1 are the most often deployed teachers, followed by those in job group B5.
Salary for a deployed C2 teacher
Basic salary 34,955
House allowance (other areas) 7,500
Hardship 10,900
Commuter 5,000
Leave(paid only in January) 6,000
Deployed personnel with degree certificates will be assigned to job group C2, where they will serve for three years before being automatically promoted to job group C3.
Those B5 teachers who hold diplomas will, however, begin at job group C1, where they will work for three years before being promoted immediately to job group C2.
TSC has also sent out head teachers for primary schools whose principals live near junior high schools.
The TSC Sub County Directors sent letters of deployment to the headteachers, asking them to take over as junior secondary school principals for a year.
The Sub County Directors were instructed by the Commission to make sure that the teachers were assigned to their existing stations or those that were close by.
According to TSC, SNE-qualified teachers should be assigned to Special JSS.
TSC is under pressure to permit primary school teachers with other degree and diploma certifications to teach in junior secondary.
