Sigh of relief for delocalized teachers – See this directive to TSC

TSC ordered to transfer delocalized teachers home, review deployment policy
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been ordered by Parliament to immediately halt the punitive delocalization policy and transfer those already affected back to their home counties.

Remember to watch the whole house debate on TSC Delocalization here.

The House further asked TSC to come up with a plan that will see newly recruited teachers being posted within their home counties saying delocalization policy has disrupted conducive working environment for teachers which is key for enhancing performance.

“This House resolves that the Teachers Service Commission immediately reverses the ongoing delocalization of teachers and initiates a comprehensive review of the teacher deployment policy with the involvement of teachers in order to make the policy consistent with International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO laws and practices on teacher management and deployment,” read the recommendations.

The Policy first started in January 2017 where newly recruited teachers were posted outside their county of employment.

However it is the year 2018 when the programme touched school headteachers and principals that it caused an uproar and a standoff between teachers unions and TSC.

Now the House has found out that the policy was not well thought out as it causes excruciating pain to teachers thus killing their morale for teaching.

“The delocalization of teachers commenced in 2018 by the Teachers Service Commission immensely disrupted teachers’ lives, lowered teacher morale and caused untold trauma to many teachers countrywide,” reads the findings.

The House from the motion dubbed “Review of Teacher Deployment Policy” courtesy of Lurambi MP Titu Khamala says TSC was not in order to start the policy without first involving teachers.

This it says contradicted Articles 118 and 132 of the Constitution which calls for public participation in such exercise.

“The exercise was not supported with a clear policy framework and was initiated without the participation of teachers or their unions, contrary to Articles 118 and 132 of the Constitution on public participation and involvement of the people in the process of policy making,” reads the findings.

It also says TSC went against international recommended practices for deploying and transferring teachers.

“Delocalization of teachers is inconsistent with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) teacher deployment practice, which treats education as a culture process conducted within a people’s cultural context at the local level,” reads the findings.

Ending teacher delocalization programme is one of President William Ruto’s big promises to teachers during campaigns.

Many teachers have already applied for transfers others with a replacement while others with none. Some teachers have also applied hoping to be considered despite working for less than five years since their posting.

From this latest recommendations the Commission will have to consider teachers transfer requests without much restrictions like the period the teacher has served and so forth.

Last week the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s team met the Commission for a discussion that will see teachers who are delocalized being transferred back to their home counties.

“We will be engaging with TSC next week so that the issue of delocalization is dealt with once and for all and teachers who are taken to places and their families put in awkward situation that matter is addressed so that we build strong family ties for a stronger nation,” the DP had said on Wednesday 12th.

Gachagua who spoke in Karen said the Ruto administration is for a strong family unit and will strive to keep teachers families together.

“The Ruto administration is for a strong family unit to keep families together especially more so those teachers who are headed for retirement. We want to assist them to prepare for retirement,” said Gachagua,” he said.

According to TSC policy, teachers working in North Eastern region are required to have completed at least three years before they are transferred back to their home counties.

Teachers in other regions are required to work for at least five years before they are considered for transfer to their homes.

“The teacher must have served in a station for a period of not less than three years and five years for North Eastern and other areas respectively since first appointment; unless otherwise authorized by the Commission’s Secretary,” read the TSC Code of Conduct for teachers.

However it is upon TSC to embrace the House recommendations and act upon them to ensure delocalization of teachers is reversed and newly recruits posted within their home counties.