Now primary schools to be headed by graduates

FILE | NATION Education Minister Sam Ongeri (left) confers with Teachers Service Commission secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni (right) at a past event. In a circular, Lengoiboni says only teachers with a university degree will be appointed to head primary schools.

By SAMUEL SIRINGI, ssiringi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, July 3 2011 at 21:15

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Only teachers with a university degree will be appointed to head primary schools, according to a new policy directive.

The order by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) effectively locks out about 70,000 P1 teachers from ever rising to the helm of the country’s 18,000 public primary schools — unless they return to class.

Mr Gabriel Lengoiboni, the TSC boss, outlined in a circular to provincial and district education officers that all new primary school head teachers will have to be on Job Group K, the entry grade for graduate teachers.

The new rule will also affect appointment of officers to the Teachers Advisory Centres and District Centres for Early Childhood Education.

“As you are aware, the number of graduate primary school teachers at Job Group K has substantially increased over the years.

There are also quite a number of non-graduate teachers who are at Job Group K,” Mr Lengoiboni said. PI teachers join service at Job Group G, but some have risen to Job Group K through promotions and long service.

Mr Lengoiboni said the requirement will, however, not affect serving headteachers.

The TSC boss advised teachers in administrative positions to pursue further studies to improve their academic status and job prospects. “This will ensure that they remain relevant and competitive,” he said.

Recently, the government announced it would phase out the P1 teachers training course.

According to the Education ministry’s plan, all the 18 primary teachers’ training colleges will be upgraded to offer diploma courses, with the graduates being posted to primary schools.

Mr Lengoiboni also stopped education officers from deploying primary school teachers who acquire higher qualifications to secondary schools.

“Be advised that such deployments are only done at the TSC headquarters after thorough consultations and following laid down procedure... Primary school teachers wishing to be deployed to post-primary institutions should apply to the commission through their respective agents for consideration.”

In the meantime, Mr Lengoiboni said, teachers at all levels should be retained in the classroom to plug the acute shortage of instructors.
“Agents found to flout this directive shall be held personally responsible... Ensure that primary schools teachers who acquire higher qualifications remain in primary schools,” he said in a circular on April 20.

By June 2010, the teacher shortage stood at 79,295 teachers. Of these, 49,790 were needed in primary schools.

The ministry says the number fell to 61,235 after the government recruited 18,600 teachers on contract.