Union chief accuses TSC of biased hiring

Knut on Sunday accused the Teachers Service Commission of corruption, nepotism and disrespect.

Mr Nzili, the acting union boss, accused TSC for making what he termed pedestrian policies, without consulting teachers, while at the same time encouraging corruption in teachers’ recruitment.

Speaking at the Kibwezi Knut branch AGM held at Ngukuni Primary School in Makindu, Mr Nzili said the last teachers’ recruitment guideline was intended to favour some candidates and was bound to encourage corruption and lock out from the process some qualified candidates who did not achieve the requisite pass, before joining college, but had bridging certificates.

'PUNITIVE' SCHEME'
“The TSC recruitment policy was drafted without consulting stakeholders. Do you want TSC officials to continue encouraging corruption by favouring their girlfriends, cousins and other close relatives?” he posed, adding: “Do you want to continue taking this nonsense from the commission?”

They shouted, “No, No!”

Mr Nzili also criticised the Teaches Proficiency Course scheme that paves the way for promotion of teachers, saying, it was created to benefit only the geographically correct candidates.

Mr Nzili asked the government to immediately abolish this “punitive” scheme and put in place a suitable and teacher-friendly scheme, which would capture more teachers.

He claimed that with the current Teachers Proficiency Course of promoting two teachers per zone per year, many would retire without benefiting from the privilege.

The acting secretary-general also talked of a medical scheme in the pipeline for teachers by TSC, which he claimed would take away all the direct medical allowances from teachers.

Saying teachers should have been consulted in regard to the planned scheme, he threatened to strongly oppose it unless consultations are made to ascertain its benefits.