Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is set to promote 15,000 diploma teachers following a successful meeting that was held between the commission and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) on Thursday 22nd August, 2019.
The vacancies will be advertised next week and mostly teachers who fall in Job Group K now (Grade C2) and Job Group J (Grade C1) who received meager benefits from 2017-2021 Collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will benefit.
Teachers who are members of Kenya National of Union of Teachers (KNUT) will however not benefit from posts yet to be advertised since the union is against CPG.
Following a ruling by Justice Byrum Ongaya last month TSC resorted to implementation of the career progression guidelines, which form basis for upward mobility against the automatic promotions that advocated for under the SoS.
“The immediate consequence of the court judgment with regard to teacher promotion is some major promotional benefits achieved through the CPG have been lost,” said Macharia.
This move is a double win for a Kenyan teacher, since it comes barely few days after the commission advertised 6043 vacancies for deputy headteachers and headteachers who fall in Grade C4 and C5 respectively.
The closed door meeting that was chaired by TSC chairperson Dr. Lydia Nzomo also gave an opportunity to KUPPET to push for 70 per cent salary increase and asked for harmonisation of house allowances for teachers across all regions.
“KUPPET requested the Commission to review the teachers’ house allowances as per their Job Groups instead of basing these allowances on the geographical location where teachers work. Specifically, KUPPET recommended that all house allowances be harmonised. The Commission undertook to consider this proposal,” Said TSC CEO Dr. Macharia.
Top item that was also discussed was the controversial medical scheme. KUPPET urged the commission to see to it that current teachers medical scheme is enhanced.
TSC contracted AON Minet on 1st July 2015 to manage the teachers medical scheme. Dr. Macharia has acknowledged that contracted company has faced some operational challenges in its implementation. The commission has also indicated that a new company is likely to manage teachers’ medical scheme since the tender has already been advertised.
“The Commission undertook to address the issues raised while engaging the next period’s service provider whose tender has already been advertised,” said TSC boss Dr. Macharia