TSC’s TPD Implementation Faces Teacher Backlash Over Cost and Career Progression.
Teachers nationwide are growing increasingly frustrated with the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) program’s rollout by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
This comes as the TSC initiates stakeholder engagement to gather feedback on various aspects of the TPD, including design, content, delivery methods, duration, assessment, monitoring, funding, and the challenges of implementing the program.
Teachers from diverse regions across the country have voiced their concerns about the TPD program. They expressed dissatisfaction over the requirement to pay for the program, especially considering that those who have attained higher qualifications have not seen corresponding promotions, salary increments, or improvements in their working conditions.
One teacher, clearly upset, emphasized that it is the responsibility of the TSC, as the employer, to continually invest in its workforce for improved productivity and service delivery.
Another teacher pointed out that TSC’s introduction of TPD seemed to exploit teachers’ desire for career progression by introducing a financially burdensome program.
Most educators, when interviewed, insisted that the TPD program should be fully funded by TSC without any cost to the teachers. They argue that the financial strain imposed on them is unjustified and unreasonable.
In an attempt to address the growing concerns, the TSC has distributed a link to teachers to collect their feedback on the TPD program. The objective is to use the responses to refine the program’s design and implementation. Teachers’ input will likely influence future decisions regarding the program’s structure.
Launched in September 2021, the TPD program consists of seven modules, each containing five chapters that address the seven Kenya Professional Teaching Standards (KEPTS). Teachers are required to pay KSh 6,000 annually.
Over five years, completing one module will cost KSh 30,000, and over the course of three decades, finishing all six modules amounts to KSh 180,000. These costs are a major source of frustration for many teachers who feel that TSC, as their employer, should bear the financial responsibility of professional development.
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In addition to their concerns about TPD, teachers have raised issues regarding the current medical allowance rates covered by the Social Health Authority (SHA). Teachers argue that these rates are based on outdated figures, making it difficult for them to afford rising healthcare costs.
Given their status as highly respected public servants, teachers feel that they should not be ridiculed for their inability to access healthcare at the country’s top health facilities.
TSC’s TPD Implementation Faces Teacher Backlash Over Cost and Career Progression.
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