TSC holds the teachers’ open day; here is what the Commission said during the event

The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, on Wednesday September 25, 2019 held its first ever open teachers’ day in selected venues countrywide. During the event schools and teachers who posted good results in academics and Co-curricular activities were feted. The Theme was this year’s day was; TSC INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOR QUALITY TEACHING

Here is what the Commission Chair Dr Lydia Nzomo had to say during this all important day;

1. PREAMBLE
   | wish to take this opportunity to extend to you all a very warm
   welcome to the third annual TSC Open Day. This is one of the most
   important days in the Commission’s calendar, and I am pleased that
   you were all able to join us.
   It is always a great pleasure to engage and share our experiences with
   our stakeholders and even members of the public. Indeed, the
   Commission has received a lot of feedback on its services through the
   open day. I wish to thank you for being part of the Commission’s
   efforts to get a better understanding of its services and operations by
   stakeholders and the public.
   Today is also a day that we appreciate one of our key stakeholders in
   the learning process, the teachers. Teachers are a key resource in the
   education sector as they play the crucial role of transforming and
   molding learners into responsible adults who fit well in the society.
   We will be recognizing teachers who have excelled in various academic
   and co-curricular activities over the last year. I wish to take this early
   opportunity to appreciate the hard work of the headteachers, principals,
   and our teachers whose commitment to duty has gone a long way in
   shaping the future of the learners.
   I am pleased to also welcome partners and stakeholders and wish to
   thank you most sincerely for the support and engagement with the
   Commission that has gone a long way in enabling the Commission
   improve delivery of its services. The Commission appreciates working
   with you and assures you that we value your contributions.
   I hope that you will all have an opportunity today to spend some time
   at the exhibitions. The Commission has on display a wide range of
   services and comprehensive information on its operations. I encourage
   those who have not got the opportunity to visit the exhibitions to do so
   in the afternoon as the exhibitions will be open the whole day.
   II. INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN SERVICE DELIVERY

Ladies and gentlemen,
Our theme for this year’s open day is “TSC Integrating Technology and
Innovation for Quality Teaching”. The choice of this theme
demonstrates the commitment of the TSC to embrace and integrate
technology and innovation in its operations.
In today’s world, technology and innovation are changing the way we
work on a scale never experienced before. It is driving radical changes
that require us to critically rethink how we can ensure a sustainable
future for the next generation.
Advancement in technology and innovation is not futuristic; it is
already here with us. Technology more than ever before, is now
challenging the traditional definition of a workplace. The email service
has revolutionized the way we communicate, replacing the
conventional letters. Technologies such as biometric attendance
registers have been adopted by many institutions, including some of
our schools. The biometric technology, which also sends messages to
parents once their children arrive in school ensures students report to
school on time and thereby minimizing chances of them engaging in
mischief.
III. REENGINEERING SERVICE DELIVERY
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Commission recognizes the use of technology as a strategic
resource. It is in view of this that the Commission has reengineered the
delivery of service and has adopted technology based innovations to
make accessibility of information and services easy, fast and reliable.
The ultimate goal is to provide real time services that a teacher or
client can access in the comfort of their homes or places of duty. This
is envisaged to enhance teachers contact hours with learners.
Services that have been reengineered include;

Introduction of Electronic files
Effective November this year the Commission will roll out use of
electronic teachers files. Currently the Commission is scanning all
documents in teachers’ files to have them in electronic form through
an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS).
This is anticipated to improve access to files by more than one user at
the same time. This has been a big challenge for the Commission as
access to the manual files has been limited to only one user at a time.
Cases of missing files will now be a thing of the past. Electronic
Secretariat Files are already in use.
Internet Protocol telephony (IP)
Further to enhance communication between the Head office and the
Counties, 11 County offices have been linked with similar telephone
facility as that at the headquarters through Internet Protocol Telephony
(IP). IP telephony offers phone technology using Internet connections.
This will make it easier to make telephone calls to County offices and
vice versa. Moreover new telephone lines or extensions will be added
on the network as funds are available. The Vision of the Commission is
to have all counties connected for seamless provision of services.
IV. TECHNOLOGY BASED SERVICES
The Commission also offers the following services online.

1. Online tax deductions card (P)
   Teachers and TSC Secretariat Staff can now access their P9 forms
   online alongside their payslips, through the TSC on-line service portal.
   Thus they do not have to wait for June to make their returns. They can
   now make their tax returns as early as January of every year.
2. TSC Website (www.tsc.go.ke):
   The Commission has a vibrant website where key activities of the
   Commission are posted as they happen. The website is also a key
   resource centre where teachers and the public easily access
   information on the services offered by the Commission. From the
   Website;
   • Teachers can download various documents such as The Code of
   Regulations for Teachers, circulars and Gazette notices.
   • Teachers can access and apply for advertised posts,
   • Retired teachers whose pension claims have been processed and
   forwarded to the Director of Pensions are notified through the
   website.
   • Papers presented during the First Teachers Conference that was
   recently concluded can be accessed through the website,
3. Teachers online (www.teachersonline.go.ke)
   i). Teacher registration
   The Commission is mandated to register trained and qualified
   teachers before they engage in any teaching services in the country.
   Through the Commission’s online system, applicants upload the requirements for registration. The Commission processes registration
   within 30 days and a registration certificate is issued. The status of the
   application is also provided in the online system.
   ii). T-Pay (payslip.tsc.go.ke)
   Teachers can now view their latest pay information by accessing their
   pay slips online. The system also provides a function for teachers to
   send their latest pay slip to 30 parties such as banks, Saccos, amongst
   others, to facilitate acquisition of a loan.
   iii).
   Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD)
   Teachers Performance Appraisal is now done online. The Commission
   is in the process of reviewing the online performance appraisal so as
   to make it more user friendly
   iv). Wealth declaration:
   Teachers and TSC secretariat staff are required to declare Income,
   Assets and Liabilities in accordance to the public Officer Ethics Act,
4. This can now be done through the TSC Website under the
   teachersonline link.
   v). Teacher Management Information System (TMIS)
   Effective teacher management requires use of accurate and up to date
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   data. In response to this the Commission has developed an online data
   collection and analysis system- Teacher Management Information
   System (TMIS). Data is collected at the source which includes the
   school, TSC county offices, and the headquarters and is uploaded on
   the system. TMIS ensures there is a centralized source of data hence
   eases access of data.
5. Use of email to enhance communication.
   The Commission’s email services continue to be a key channel of
   communication that teachers and other clients use to make enquiries.
   This provides clients with a channel that enables them to reach the
   Commission at a click of a button. Clients can reach the Commission
   wherever they are, without having to travel to any of the Commission’s
   offices.
6. Commission’s social media platforms
   The Commission’s social media platform, Facebook page (TSC KENYA)
   and twitter handle (@TSC_KE) are interactive platforms where teachers
   and other clients interact easily with the Commission. The
   Commission uses the platforms to post and share events as they
   happen and also bring to the attention of our clients’ urgent
   information meant for their attention. You are all encouraged to use
   the platforms to reach the Commission on any issue that you may
   have.
7. Bulk SMS
   The bulk SMS platform has enabled the Commission deliver time-
   sensitive notifications, and other important information directly to the
   mobile phones of teachers and Secretariat Staff. TSC is now able to
   send out invitations to teachers for interviews, discipline hearings and
   cordial messages such as Christmas, Idd Ul Fitr, Easter, New Year’s. It
   has also been integrated with other systems to give instant feedback
   such a successful completion of a job application, registration
   amongst others. The Bulk SMS presents a more cost effective way of
   communicating to employees as opposed telephone calls or sending
   letters.
8. Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS)
   This was developed to enable the Commission manage its human
   resource. Secretariat Staff now apply for leave, undertake performance
   appraisal and access medical scheme administration services such as
   updating their profiles, adding beneficiaries and give feedback about services in hospitals. They also can initiate card replacement and
   check referral hospitals in the various towns and regions.
   The use of technology-based service channels, have improved service
   delivery greatly by reducing the human interface and providing timely
   response, accessibility and efficiency. Teachers no longer need to
   leave their stations to access services. They are able to access them
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   even through their personal phones. I wish to assure you the
   Commission is committed to automating its services to provide real
   time services to the teachers and the public.
   V. USE OF INNOVATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY IN DELIVERY OF
   CURRICULUM
   Ladies and gentlemen,
   The use of innovations and technology is not limited to the
   Commission only. I am aware many teachers have enhanced their
   teaching through technology. We witnessed many other ICT
   champions demonstrate very innovative ways of teaching during the
   First Teachers conference held in June this year. The Global Teacher
   Award winner Peter Tabichi integrates ICT into 80 per cent of his
   lessons. In recognition of the efforts of such teachers who use
   technology to enhance learning, the Commission initiated the ICT
   Teacher of the Year (TOYA) award. The award is antipated to
   encourage teachers to take advantage and keep abreast with the fast
   changing technology.
   I would like to encourage all teachers to embrace creative methods of
   teaching that are in tandem with our rapidly changing, technologically-
   driven world. As David Warlick, an American educator and Author aptly put it, “we need technology in every classroom and in every student
   and teacher’s hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it
   is the lens through which we experience much of our world”.
   V EMERGING ISSUES
   At this juncture, I wish to focus on some pertinent issues in the
   education sector that are of mutual interest.
   THE COMPETENCY BASED
   1) TEACHERS TRAINING ON
   CURRICULUM
   Ladies and gentlemen,
   The recently rolled out Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) lays
   emphasis on development of learner’s competencies and the use of
   digital technology. It focuses on equipping leaners with the ability to
   apply knowledge, skills and values taught in schools to solve life’s
   problems. This calls for new approaches to teaching and learning.
   To ensure that teachers are adequately prepared to successfully steer
   the CBC, the Commission has trained Institutional Administrators and
   teachers of primary schools. The training has focused on Early Years
   Education (EYE) up to Grade Four levels. So far, the Commission has
   trained 181 Master Trainers who in turn trained 1,165 Curriculum
   Support Officers and 1,320 CBC champions as Trainer of Trainers. In
   total, the Commission has trained a total of 159,810 teachers during the year. (91,620 in April, and 68490 in August). A further 68490
   teachers are scheduled to be trained in December bringing the total to
   288,000 by the end of the year.
   The Commission is set to progressively train all teachers in our public
   schools. This will also be complimented with continuous teacher
   professional development as training is a continuous process.
   VI. PROTECTION OF THE LEARNERS
   Ladies and gentlemen,
   As stakeholders in the education sector, we all have a responsibility to
   ensure our learners get quality education and attain their full potential.
   The safety of learners is one of the greatest concern of the
   Commission. Teachers have been given duty of care over the learners
   to even beyond the school environment. The Code of Conduct and
   Ethics for Teachers 2015 has tasked teachers to protect children from;
   abuse, neglect, harmful cultural practices, all forms of violence,
   discrimination, inhuman treatment, corporal punishment and exposure
   to hazardous or exploitative labour.
   It is with this in mind that I ask all of us as stakeholders in the
   education sector to play our part in protecting our learners and
   ensuring that the school continues to be a safe learning environment.

VII. TPAD IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT
Ladies and gentlemen,
As I draw close to the end of my remarks, I wish to share with you a
report on a baseline assessment on the impact assessment of
Performance Contract for heads of Institutions and Teacher Performance
Appraisal and Development (TPAD) that was done in 2017. Since the roll
out of the TPAD in January 2016, the Commission has been monitoring
its progress.
From the baseline assessment, it is has emerged that: –

a) Teachers’ competencies in preparation and maintenance of
professional documents, learners’ assessment, identification of
weak or talented learners and development of Individualized
Education Programme (IEP) have been enhanced.
b) TPAD has also enhanced mastery of subject content, syllabus
coverage, teaching methods and lesson observation techniques.
c) Teachers’ competencies in preparation of teaching /learning aids
using locally available materials and using ICT to improve
knowledge content and curriculum delivery have improved.
d) TPAD is seen to have influenced learners’ innovation and
creativity by empowering learners to use ICT and develop their
own learning materials.
e) TPAD has effectively promoted parental involvement in the
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learning process and has created linkages and networking with
educational bodies.
It is evident that the three TPAD teaching standards assessed have
enhanced teacher competencies and improved learning outcomes.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I once again thank each one of you for the part that you
are playing in the lives of our learners. For those who will be receiving
awards, I take this opportunity to congratulate you for the good work
that you are doing. Emerging at the top is not easy. It requires a lot of
hard work and commitment which at times goes way beyond the
normal classroom time. I assure you your efforts are not in vain.
To all of you, I wish to assure you of the Commission’s commitment to
deliver consistent quality service to all our customers. With those few
remarks, I wish you well as you go back to your duty stations and may
God bless you abundantly.
Thank You