The Teachers Service Commission has announced the introduction of new allowances for teachers in special schools and units to attract and retain them in the institutions.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia on Tuesday told the National Assembly Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee that special needs schools in the country are faced with a shortage of 5,362 teachers.
Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana said the suffering by teachers in special needs schools discourages their colleagues from seeking jobs in the institutions leading to the shortage.
Macharia told the Adan Haji-led team that Readers Facilitation or Aid allowance has been introduced for teachers who are blind, deaf, mute or those having physical disabilities.
“Special school allowances is also another incentive introduced to teachers with special education skills,” she said.
Macharia noted that the incentives are in addition to standard enticements such as hardship and commuter allowances.
“Due to budget constraints, the commission has developed a phased deployment of teachers to special needs schools to address the shortage,” she noted.
Committee vice chairperson Liza Chelule commended the teacher employer for its efforts to improve the welfare of teachers in special needs schools.
She, however, said there was still more needed to be done.
“The committee visited special needs schools in parts of Coast, Nyanza, Western and Rift Valley and established that the schools and teachers operated in deplorable conditions,” she said.
On teacher shortage, Macharia said TSC hired and deployed 1,763 teachers to schools in the month of May.
She added that in September this year, January and June next year, another 3,600 teachers will be posted to schools.
The TSC boss added that the commission had also developed and implemented a unique staffing norm for special needs education schools.
Macharia said the class size determined by the type and severity of disabilities of the learners is considered for each teacher.
“For example, the class size for mentally handicapped learners is set at four students while the class size for physically handicapped learners should have 15 students,” she explained.
Macharia said the teacher-learner ratio is aimed at ensuring that teachers give adequate attention to special needy learners.
