Ogambo suggests using the Education Ministry as a TSC operative.
Julius Ogambo, the contender for Cabinet Secretary of Education, has suggested coopting the ministry as an agent of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in order to improve supervision over school principals and guarantee timely sanctions.
The Education nominee clarified that the instructors Service Commission’s failure to take severe action against renegade instructors was the reason school principals were breaking Ministry of Education regulations.
“The issue with the TSC stems from the constitution because it has the authority to punish teachers, but as a MOE, we only distribute funds; it lacks the authority to punish teachers for failing to adhere to procedures,” Ogambo said.
After parents revealed that school principals were levying extra fees in violation of Ministry of Education norms, the House team voiced concerns about the free education program.
In the past, parents have bemoaned having to take out larger loans to cover the financial shortfall that keeps schools running smoothly.
It has the authority to punish educators in public schools across the nation thanks to the Teachers Service Commission Act of 2012.
Regarding this, the Commission’s main duties consist of looking into claims of professional misconduct, holding disciplinary hearings, and punishing individuals found guilty of breaking the professional code of conduct with suitable penalties.
According to reports, the Education CS nominee’s proposal will intensify the conflict between the Ministry of Education and the teachers’ employer, as TSC has opposed attempts to shift some of their tasks.
In the past, the Ministry of Education has been suggested to assume major responsibilities that are currently only carried out by TSC by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).
The ministry will have a vote in teacher transfers and promotions, which are crucial aspects of the TSC’s mandate, according to the comprehensive policy suggestions.
The ministry sends billions of shillings to schools, but it has no control over the fund managers who answer directly to TSC. This is what led to the suggestion, it has emerged.
This is due to the fact that, whilst serving as managers and appointed TSC agents at educational institutions, school heads also oversee the management of ministry funding.
Unlike the existing arrangement, where they report to TSC, the proposal places headteachers under the ministry’s authority.
As authorized and accountable personnel, school heads will represent the Ministry of Education under the proposed arrangements.
The taskforce has determined that the TSC lacks the necessary expertise to oversee the financial management of schools, and they have requested that the ministry assume this responsibility.
“The Ministry of Education cannot hold the headteacher to account nor is he/she involved in their discipline where there has been a case of mismanagement of funds or resources by a headteacher or principal,” a portion of the draft report states.
According to the plans, an independent tribunal would handle teacher-related disciplinary matters, meaning that TSC may lose its sole authority to supervise them.
Teachers who are dissatisfied with the TSC’s handling of their disciplinary cases will be able to appeal to the ministry’s Education Appeals Tribunal.
At the moment, the Teachers Service Review Committee, an ad hoc committee of the commission, is how TSC currently manages appeals.
Ogambo suggests using the Education Ministry as a TSC operative.
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