Thousands of teachers promoted

• New promotions to earn teachers various titles including senior graduate teacher, approved teacher and senior principal

Eight thousand secondary school teachers have been promoted to higher job groups.

The move by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will see 7,299 teachers, a majority of those affected, move from Job Group L to M.

Each of them will receive a salary increment of up to Sh5,000 a month.

Their promotions will be backdated to the end of February, meaning they will receive Sh10,000 each by the end of March should all the salaries be processed on time.

Names of the successful teachers have been posted on the commission’s website.

Letters notifying them of their new status were, however, being sent out by the commission, although their new grades have already taken effect.

“The commission is in the process of issuing appointment letters,” said a statement on the commission’s website, www.tsc.go.ke.

The new promotions will earn the teachers various titles including senior graduate teacher, approved teacher (secondary schools), chief and senior principals.

Other than those moved to M, other teachers have been promoted to Job groups P, Q and R, mainly chief principals and senior principals.

Those moved to Job groups R and Q have their promotions backdated to February 17.

But those moved to Job group P will have their new grade backdated to January.

Currently, teachers in job group M earn salaries of between Sh33,150 and Sh40,904. Those on job group N earn between Sh37,970 and Sh46,740.

The promotions follow year-long interviews that started last year in line with the commission’s new criterion that requires senior teachers face panels before they can move to upper grades.

TSC boss Gabriel Lengoiboni said interviews were the best way to ensure meritocracy in promotions was upheld and that teachers earned their grades with all fairness.

Commission public relations manager Nkatha Murungi confirmed the promotions had been effected, adding beneficiaries would receive their salaries backdated to last month.

“We have released the names after thorough interviews that were based on merit,” she said.

She added: “More teachers at the primary level will be promoted to job group M.”

Their interviews were ongoing, she said.