TSC reviews career progression guidelines for teachers, curriculum support officers

A teacher with pupils at a Kenyan school. /FILE

The Teachers Service Commission has begun reviewing the Career Progression Guidelines for teachers and curriculum support officers in a move that signals a shift from the current framework that has long been blamed for career stagnation within the teaching service.

The commission currently relies on the Career Progression Guidelines (CPGs) alongside the Teachers Professional Appraisal and Development (TPAD) system to guide the development, training and promotion of teachers from entry-level positions in primary schools to the rank of Chief Principal.

These frameworks outline job descriptions, personal attributes and key competencies required for each level within the profession.

Under the existing guidelines, career pathways for school administrators are separated from those of classroom teachers.

This arrangement is intended to create clear reporting structures while eliminating overlaps within the grading system.

The framework also sets out minimum entry requirements for those seeking to join the teaching profession and provides guidance to both prospective and practising teachers on the qualifications and competencies needed to advance in their careers.

In addition, the guidelines define the expected deliverables for each cadre of teachers, enabling the commission to set performance targets and measure individual performance through the TPAD system.

However, the commission now says the current framework has been overtaken by developments in the education sector.

The guidelines were developed in 2016 in consultation with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and rolled out in 2018.

Over time, they have increasingly been criticised for contributing to long-term stagnation in promotions, partly because advancement to higher grades relies heavily on competitive interviews and, in some cases, appears to favour teachers working in certain categories of schools.

“The CPG 2018 has been outlived by the changing trends in both the teaching service and the education sector. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop well-defined, competency-based job descriptions that benefit all the teachers and curriculum support officers (CSOs),” the commission said.

The guidelines came into effect just a year after the rollout of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, meaning they were not fully aligned with the teacher development demands created by the reformed education system.

As a result, the current model is seen as providing less structured career guidance in a system that has since undergone significant changes.

In response, TSC has convened a week-long retreat in Embu bringing together experts and experienced stakeholders from across the education sector, including senior teachers.

The meeting is aimed at gathering professional insights to inform a new job evaluation framework for the teaching service.

“Given your expertise and the technical knowledge, we would greatly appreciate your participation in this process. Your input and subject-matter expertise will be invaluable in ensuring that the job descriptions accurately reflect technical requirements in the education sector, teaching standards and best practices,” the commission said in invitation letters sent to participants.

The retreat, being held at the Kenya School of Government in Embu, began on Monday, March 9 and will run until Sunday, March 15.

According to an invitation letter seen by the Star and signed by TSC acting CEO Eveleen Mitei, the sessions will involve consultative meetings, breakout discussions and review sessions to refine the proposed framework.

“Participation during the retreat will involve consultative meetings, break-away interludes and review sessions,” the letter states, adding that delegates will also be briefed on the schedule and scope of work throughout the exercise.

The review comes against a backdrop of growing criticism over how the commission conducts promotion interviews for teachers.

Over the years, teacher unions have raised concerns about the fairness of the process and the criteria used to evaluate candidates.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has previously argued that the scoring system tends to favour teachers working in extra-county and national schools, where student performance is often higher.

According to the union, the current framework places significant emphasis on school category and academic results rather than focusing primarily on the competencies and performance of individual teachers.

As a result, many teachers have reported remaining in the same job group for years despite gaining additional qualifications.

In some cases, even teachers who obtain higher academic credentials such as bachelor’s or master’s degrees are not guaranteed faster promotion.

Critics have also pointed out that advancement to higher grades, particularly from C3 and above, requires competitive interviews, a process many teachers say limits opportunities for progression even when they have improved their professional qualifications and experience.