TSC

TSC (Teachers Service Commission The Teachers Service Commission (Commission) was created in 1967 as a Semi-Autonomous Government Agency (SAGA) under the Ministry of Education until the Constitution was promulgated in 2010. Article 237 established the Commission as a Constitutional Commission to manage teachers, including registration, recruitment, assignment, promotion, transfer, disciplinary control, and termination of employment. According to Article 237(3), the TSC (Teachers Service Commission) is responsible for reviewing education and training requirements for new teachers, assessing teacher demand and supply, and providing advice to the national government on teaching issues. The Teachers Service Commission Act (2012) expanded the Commission's responsibilities to ensure compliance with teaching standards, promote career development, appoint heads of institutions, and monitor teacher conduct and performance. The Commission is made up of nine members appointed by the Constitution and Act, as opposed to the previous legislative framework (TSC Act, Cap. 212, since abolished), which had 24 Commissioners nominated by the Minister of Education. TSC has established directorates, divisions, sections, and units to efficiently manage its functions, as per the TSC Act. The Commission operates independently and follows the law and Constitution. This represents a change from the previous statutory framework, where Ministry of Education personnel or appointees carried out the Commission's functions centrally. TSC (Teachers Service Commission  Ends Decentralization The TSC implemented decentralization in teacher management functions, transferring authority from headquarters to counties. This process aimed to promote equity in educational institutions, improve service delivery, enhance teacher performance, facilitate career progression, enhance stakeholder engagement, strengthen teacher management structures at county, sub-county, and institutional levels, and standardize processes. The decentralization placed counties as the focal point of service delivery, reshaping previously delegated functions and establishing the requisite structures to strengthen teacher management in counties. It has, however, been scrapped by the government. Definition of Terms and Concepts 1. Assignment: The process of assigning new teaching duties to a teacher, either at their current or new station. 2. Common cadre: Officers who fulfill the minimal standards can advance without undergoing a competitive selection process. 3. Decentralization refers to delegating authority and accountability for teacher management functions from headquarters to service delivery centers at lower levels. 4. Deployment: Appointing a teacher to an administrative position in the Secretariat of the TSC (Teachers Service Commission), including posting from a primary to a post-primary school and withdrawing administrative tasks. 5. Educational Institution: Includes private and public learning institutions in Kenya registered under the Basic Education Act. 6. Induction is the process of introducing new employees to work practices and the environment. 7. Natural attrition refers to the termination of employment due to retirement, death, release to another institution, resignation, or other reasons. 8. Separation refers to the disengagement of teachers from their employer, including allowing them and their dependents to collect terminal benefits.