The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is responsible for the registration, recruitment deployment, and management of teachers. This essentially means that the Commission manages the process of transferring teachers in the country.
Teachers may seek transfers for various reasons, including personal preferences, family considerations, health issues, or professional growth. Understanding the procedure is essential for the smooth transition.
Here is a guide on how to apply for teacher transfer:
Who initiates Teacher Transfers?
How to Apply for a Transfer
Teachers can log in to the TSC website, fill in the application details, upload the required documents, and submit their application online.
Tracking Your Transfer Status
Upon approval, the teacher receives a transfer letter detailing the new station and reporting date. This letter is typically sent through the school or directly to the teacher.
Reporting to the New Station
Key Considerations for Transfer
The approval of a transfer request
depends on several factors:
Timing of Transfers
To minimize disruption to school programs, transfers are scheduled during school holidays.
Who Effects Teacher Transfers?
Teachers Responsibility after
Approval
Once a transfer is approved, transferred teachers are required to be released from their current station and report to the new station within the stipulated time period.
Teacher transfer is supported by an online application system that aids in reducing unnecessary travel and wait times at TSC headquarters.
By understanding the outlined procedures and utilising the available digital tools, teachers can navigate to check on transfer status with ease.
Here is the new TSC Transfer Portal Link: https://portal.tsc.go.ke/
This guide provides a walk-through for teachers and actioning officers to access and use the new
Transfer and Swap modules via the TSC portal.
– Teachers: https://portal.tsc.go.ke/
– Actioning Officers: https://tsconline.tsc.go.ke/
Process Overview:
1. Login to the TSC portal
2. Access the Transfer or Swap Module
3. Complete and submit
4. Actioning officer reviews and acts on the request
Access the link above via a browser, then enter your username and password.
Use the same password you use for the Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities system
(https://tsconline.tsc.go.ke), i.e., Teachers Online Services (TOS).
If you are a new user who has not done a declaration before, or if you have forgotten your password, click on “Forgot Password”, enter the OTP sent to your official TSC email, and create a new password.
Get the full guide here: https://portal.tsc.go.ke/
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has set out the rules governing teacher transfers across the 32,000 public schools. The framework focuses on fairness, medical considerations, and ensuring continuity of learning.
Appearing before the Senate Education Committee, TSC Director of Staffing Antonina Lentoijoni said transfers are determined by factors such as vacancies, equitable distribution of teachers, and valid medical grounds.
She said teachers may also seek transfers on medical grounds, but applications must be backed by reports from registered doctors and validated by school heads and county or sub-county directors.
“Local supervisors know the teachers better than we do at headquarters. Their input helps us confirm the authenticity of medical cases,” she said, stressing the need for caution to prevent abuse of the policy. She noted that some teachers, particularly those in hardship areas like Mandera, have previously presented questionable medical records to secure transfers.
“Teachers in harsh environments can easily obtain records, whether the illness is genuine or not,” she said. Verification from field officers, she stressed, is critical before action is taken. Committee chairperson Betty Montet said the Mombasa retreat was important in addressing teacher recruitment, staffing policies, and transfer frameworks.
The deliberations come a month after TSC launched a pilot e-transfer module designed to enhance transparency and efficiency in teacher deployment. TSC acting CEO Evaleen Mitei said the upgraded system, which features automated matching and swap functionalities, mandatory service tenure, and real-time notifications, aligns with the commission’s constitutional mandate.
Teachers can now apply for transfers or swaps digitally. While the five-year service rule remains, applications may be made after three years in a station under exceptional circumstances.
If no match is found within 90 days, the search extends automatically; after 180 days, a regret letter is issued. Approved transfers generate digital letters sent directly to institutions, making the process faster and more transparent.
