The Teachers Service Commission requires an additional Sh5 billion above its current budget to promote thousands of teachers who have stagnated in the same grades for years, a new parliamentary report shows.
The National Assembly Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee says the commission’s present allocation of Sh1 billion is far from enough to support the promotions, despite many teachers already qualifying after serving in their positions for three years or more.
In the report, the committee, chaired by Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, explains that the limited funding has “severely” restricted the commission’s capacity to roll out the career progression guidelines for teachers in public schools. It warns that the delay threatens the quality of education learners receive as many teachers continue to wait for movement to the next grade.
The committee is now pushing the commission to present detailed information on the funds it needs to fully carry out the promotions as required by law. It wants a clear breakdown of the exact amounts needed and a timeline on how the backlog will be cleared.
The commission received Sh378.2 billion in the current financial year, which goes towards paying salaries and hiring teachers on permanent and internship terms.
As mandated by law, the commission handles the recruitment, registration, employment, assignment, promotion, transfer, discipline and termination of teachers in public learning institutions. In July, it introduced automatic promotions aimed at speeding up career growth for deserving tutors based on performance, while retaining competitive promotions for those rising to higher ranks.
Under the new policy, teachers in common cadres will be elevated after every three years of service in their current grades, provided their performance is rated as “satisfactory” under the Teacher Professional Appraisal Development system.
These cover the movement from B5 to C1, C1 to C2 and C2 to C3. This system, which started in the current financial year, removes the need for interviews in these categories to reduce stagnation. Promotions from D1 and above will continue to be filled competitively through advertising and interviews.
Even with these changes, the report notes that financial shortages remain the biggest obstacle to promoting the large number of teachers who have remained in the same grade.
It also points out that the commission faces complications where some long-serving teachers decline promotions because they fear being transferred from schools where they prefer to work. The committee says this has added to the backlog and created new hurdles in career growth.
