The Tiaty constituency in Baringo has a severe teacher shortage in primary schools as a result of mass transfers of teachers after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) lifted the delocalization policy, allowing teachers to return to their native areas.
The county human resources officer James Kisabei both Tiaty West and East subcounties have a staffing shortage of 323, with West needing 187 teachers and East 136.
In a county national department head meeting headed by county commissioner Stephen Kutwa in his Kabarnet boardroom, Mr. Kisabei revealed that the suspension of the decentralization program was late last year led to the majority of schools operating without administrators, a situation that has jeopardized the implementation of education programs.
In addition to TSC’s decision to suspend the Mass Transfers and Delocalization Policy, the human resource officer reported that the majority of non-local teachers and administrators had requested transfers out of the region due to security threats posed by constant bandit attacks, leaving educational institutions understaffed.
He observed that Tiaty West, with 79 primary schools, needs 518 educators, whereas Tiaty East, with 57 schools, require 419 tutors for effective staffing.
Currently, there are only 316 teachers on duty in Tiaty West and 285 in Tiaty East, with some institutions having as few as two teaching staff members. “There is a severe shortage of personnel in all schools,” stated Kisabei.
The official informed the meeting that TSC advertised for the positions of head teachers and deputies at the beginning of this year, but received few applications, forcing the teacher’s employer to cover the enormous vacancies with existing unqualified teachers serving in acting capacities.
In November 2022, the government ordered TSC to reverse the delocalization program so that instructors employed in remote locations could return to their home countries.
Through a private motion, the legislature acknowledged that the policy implemented in 2018 was excessively punitive and has caused unfathomable mental anguish for teachers, particularly the ill.
The meeting was informed that the illiteracy rate in Tiaty, which is notorious for banditry attacks and cattle rustling, especially in the Silale region, exceeds 90 percent. Members were told that this is due to outmoded cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, early marriages, and cattle rustling.
The meeting was informed that regressive practices and harsh climatic conditions had impeded the educational pursuits of children, causing the region to languish behind in every aspect of development.
Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) will allocate Sh800 million in Equalisation Fund to Baringo County in the 2023–2024 fiscal year. Tiaty West and East will receive the lion’s share of Sh421.8 million to enable the marginalized area to catch up with other developed regions of the country.
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