TSC Hires Teachers on Fixed-Term Contracts Amid Mass Exodus in North Eastern
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has indicated that the mass exodus of non-local tutors compelled it to hire teachers on contract to address a severe shortage in four counties.
The TSC explained to the Senate that ongoing al-Shabaab attacks necessitated the recruitment of teachers in Lamu, Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties.
TSC Fixed-Term Contracts
The commission noted that in 2020, it introduced the engagement of teachers on fixed terms as a strategy to mitigate the shortage.
These contracts are renewable every three years. The TSC emphasized that the law mandates the hiring of tutors on permanent and pensionable terms.
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However, teachers recruited under this arrangement are offered three-year contracts renewable until they turn 65. 376 teachers are currently on contract.
TSC clarified that no other teacher has worked on a fixed-term contract for more than 10 years, aside from the 376.
Alarming Casualties Among Teachers
Data from the Ministry of Education revealed that 32 teachers have been killed by al-Shabaab in Northeastern Kenya over the past five years.
Notably, in 2014, 22 teachers returning home for Christmas were among 28 individuals killed in a bus attack in Mandera.
Critical Need for Teachers
According to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Mandera County currently requires more than 2,000 teachers to fill the gaps in 300 public primary and 550 public secondary schools.
After al-Shabaab killed three teachers in January 2020, TSC made further transfers, causing another crisis in the region.
Consequently, out of almost 4,000 primary and secondary school teachers, at least 2,340 demanded transfers.
To date, 836 teachers have transferred from Garissa, 287 from Wajir, and 964 from Mandera, leaving only about 600 non-local teachers in the region.
According to the Code of Regulation for Teachers, if a teacher retires and is eligible for re-employment, the commission may employ them on contractual terms.
Additionally, the code allows TSC to hire on contract any person eligible for appointment as deemed fit by the commission.
Also Read: Teachers’ Strike Paralyzes Learning in Public Junior Schools
In October 2018, two teachers were killed when al-Shabaab militants attacked Arabia Boys Secondary School in Mandera county.
An attack in Wajir led to the temporary closure of 250 out of 266 primary and secondary schools in the county.
Beyond the threat posed by al-Shabaab, some teachers have reported harassment and physical abuse by students, and they have sometimes been referred to in derogatory terms.
TSC Hires Teachers on Fixed-Term Contracts Amid Mass Exodus in North Eastern
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