School heads set to sign contracts

Head teachers should be put on three-year renewable contracts, a task force on education reform has recommended. They should also be limited to serving in one institution for a maximum of nine years.

Working on contract means the head teachers would have set goals against which their performance would be measured.

This would mark the first time teachers sign the contracts now used by the government to gauge the performance of civil servants.

However, unions have steadfastly opposed the contracts.

The task force also wants the Education ministry to set the minimum qualifications for head teachers, based on skills, competencies, basic training in financial management and strategic leadership.

The task force says the posting of heads of institutions is contained in the Teachers’ Service Commission’s policy but it “does not provide for financial management.”

“Over the years, quality assessment and audit reports have shown that there are cases of impropriety in financial management which has undermined schools.”

The Teachers Service Commission would manage the employment scheme for school managers, the team has recommended in the report, scheduled to be presented to the minister at the Kenya Institute of Education on Friday.

The team has also recommended the establishment of county education boards and the post of county director of education.

“The TSC will continue to recruit, deploy, promote, and discipline teachers but the day-to-day management of institutional managers will be the responsibility of the county boards,” the task force has recommended.

This board would also recommend who should be hired as school managers.

At face value, this means that boards play a role in the recruitment of head teachers and principals for schools.

But according to the Kenya National Union of Teachers, allowing the county education board to have a hand in the appointment of head teachers amounts to undermining the power of the TSC, which is a constitutional commission.

Sole responsibility

Union chairman Wilson Sossion said on Thursday appointing head teachers and their deputies should be the “sole and undiluted responsibility” of the commission.

Given the membership of the county board, Mr Sossion argued, interference by non-professionals was likely during recruitment leading to cronyism and political meddling.

The ministry has also been asked to set up a clear system through which head teachers and school managers can be trained as it would have an impact on their promotion and motivation.

The qualifications for head teachers would also lock out those without the skills and knowledge to manage money.

The ministry should also employ accountants, bursars, account clerks and other support staff.

This is currently done by the schools, through their boards of governors.

According to the task force, most primary and secondary schools, have no bursars/accounts clerks, while others have employed finance staff of questionable qualifications.

It says their recruitment is riddled with patronage, making it difficult for account staff to raise questions when money is misused.

It has also recommended that all education and training institutions should be managed by the Education ministry through the county education boards, meaning local authorities will lose their power over schools.