Why Teachers Avoid TSC Deployment to Junior Secondary Schools.
A significant number of teachers have avoided deployment to Junior Secondary School (JSS) due to adverse impacts on their career progression.
Many of those deployed have expressed frustrations, stating that despite serving as head teachers or deputies, their titles were downgraded to Teacher 3 and Teacher 4.
This adjustment has made it challenging for them to secure promotions. Even after fulfilling the required years of service and entering their details into the system for career advancement, their applications are often rejected.
Teachers who resisted deployment to JSS have advanced to higher job groups, while their counterparts who accepted JSS roles remain stagnant in lower cadres.
The absence of administrative roles in JSS further complicates the situation. Schools where head teachers and deputies have been reassigned as Teacher 3 and Teacher 4 are essentially left without formal administrators.
This structural gap undermines leadership and operational efficiency in JSS institutions.
TSC and Government Interventions
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been urged to address these challenges by creating mechanisms to reward teachers who have surpassed the stipulated guidelines for promotions.
At the recent KEPSHA conference, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia assured that the issue of confirming JSS heads and deputies would be resolved under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between teacher unions and the government.
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Additionally, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba, acknowledged the heavy workloads faced by JSS teachers. He encouraged them to persevere as the government works to resolve their grievances.
The TSC recently announced 5,690 administrative positions targeting teachers in job groups C3, C4, C5, D1, and D3.
However, the perception remains that only school administrators benefit from promotions, leaving regular classroom teachers stuck in stagnation since the introduction of the CBA.
Many classroom teachers view the agreement as limiting their opportunities for career advancement.
JSS Deployment Beneficiaries
Despite the challenges, some teachers have benefited from JSS deployment. Primary school teachers (P1) with degrees transitioned from C1 to C2, earning salaries between KES 34,955 and KES 43,694.
This promotion elevated them from scale 6 to scale 7 and granted them the title JSS Teacher 2.
Meanwhile, teachers in C3 were automatically promoted to JSS Teacher 3 after three years in C2. Similarly, teachers in C4 and C5 were assigned the titles JSS Teacher 4 and JSS Teacher 5, respectively, based on their job groups.
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The TSC should prioritize addressing these disparities by recognizing the unique roles and challenges of JSS teachers.
Establishing clear paths for promotion and reinstating administrative titles within JSS schools can improve morale and ensure equity in career progression.
Why Teachers Avoid TSC Deployment to Junior Secondary Schools.
