TSC carries out mass reshuffle of school heads in counties

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is currently carrying out major reshuffling of school headteachers and principals countrywide.

TSC as is with other Commissions and government agencies is under pressure to ensure work ethics, performance and integrity among its workforce.

In the wake of calls for accountability, the Commission has reacted by reshuffling the Heads of Institutions (HOI’s) within their counties.

TSC is listed by Gen Z’s, activists and teachers as one of the most corrupt government department.

School heads are accused of misuse of school capitation funds, where most of the funds end in their pockets instead of serving schools.

The HOI’s are also accused of defying government policies like charging extra levies and conducting illegal tuitions.

The heads are on the spot for poor management of schools. Squandering of school funds is a major concern.

Former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu had said school headteachers and principals will soon appear before Parliamentary committees to answer queries raised about funds for their schools.

Machogu said the government has classified and categorised schools as a unit answerable to Parliament. 

“My friends, things are changing. Machogu has been answering questions on your behalf, but that will not be the case anymore as secondary schools have now been classified as audit units,” he said.

He said parliamentary committees will invite the principals to answer queries, unlike in the current case where the Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) or Principal Secretary (PS) do it on their behalf.

The CS warned the headteachers against imposing illegal levies that are not approved, saying they will face dire consequences if the parliamentary committee decides to summon them.

Machogu was speaking during the closing of the Secondary School Heads conference in Mombasa attended by 8,000 members of the Kenya Secondary School Head Teachers Association (KESSHA).

The CS also warned head teachers against withholding National Examination Council Certificates for students who had sat for such examinations.

He advised the principals to follow government guidelines, outlawing withholding the national examination certificate for students over unpaid school fees.

“National Examination Council Certificates are not to be withheld by schools for any reason, including non-payment of fees. I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate these policy and legal requirements and to urge you to enforce them strictly,” said Machogu.

He warned the head teachers against introducing illegal levies for students against government policy.

“We have prescribed the maximum allowable fees that each level of school can charge,” said Machogu.

He said a comprehensive review of the education sector legal and policy Bill, which has shaken the sector since independence, will be submitted to Parliament before the end of this year.

“We have finalised the draft session paper and 13 Bills through which we seek to implement the recommendation of Presidential working party reform submitted to Parliament before the end of this year,” said Machogu.

He said the reforms include the computation of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination of 2023 based on the mean score based on English or Kiswahili or sign language mathematics and five other subjects.

He said the new system had seen improvement in the performance of the KCSE examination last year and increased the entry requirements.

He said senior secondary schools will have three pathways under CBC Science Technology Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), Social Science, Arts, and Sports Science.

The principals attending the 47th National Kenya Secondary School Association (KESSHA) said KNEC should work independently and be held responsible for examination cheating.

The principals recommended that the Kenya National Examination Council be autonomous to shield it from interference by the State.