Treasury allocates TSC commissioners more cash in salaries
What you need to know:
- TSC is chaired by Dr Lydia Nzomo and commissioners include Salome Gichura, Cleopas Tirop, Saadia Kontoma, Said Twahir, Kinoti Imanyara, Chache Bolo, Beatrice Adu and Albert Fred Ekirapa.
- The country is currently facing a shortage of 80,000 teachers a situation that has led to many schools relying on board of management teachers.
- The commission is also targeting to recruit 10,000 teachers starting July, 7,500 next year and an additional 7,500 teachers in 2018.
Teachers Service Commissioners have been allocated Sh121 million as salaries and personal allowances starting July.
This is an increase from Sh116 million that the commission was allocated by the Treasury to cater for salaries and allowances last year.
TSC is chaired by Dr Lydia Nzomo and commissioners include Salome Gichura, Cleopas Tirop, Saadia Kontoma, Said Twahir, Kinoti Imanyara, Chache Bolo, Beatrice Adu and Albert Fred Ekirapa.
In the budget estimates before Parliament, Treasury CS Henry Rotich has also allocated the commission Sh2.3 billion for recruiting additional 5,000 teachers and Sh2.2 billion for promotion of teachers.
The country is currently facing a shortage of 80,000 teachers a situation that has led to many schools relying on board of management teachers.
However, regulation of school fees charged has complicated the matter leading an outcry from school heads.
The National Treasury has also allocated Sh10 billion to go into hardship and house allowance for teachers which was increased last year.
In total, the commission has been allocated Sh181 billion.
At the same time, TSC has set a target of 44:1 pupil:teacher ratio starting July, from 43:1 next year and 40:1 in 2018.
The commission is also targeting to recruit 10,000 teachers starting July, 7,500 next year and an additional 7,500 teachers in 2018.
About 2,000 teachers are set to be transferred to achieve equity starting July, while, 2,500 will be transferred next year and 3,000 teachers in 2017.
The budget estimates also indicate that about 1,000 cases of indiscipline are under investigations by the commission.
The estimates further states that TSC increased staffing levels by 25,000 through recruitment to address increasing enrolment, decentralisation of discipline, recruitment and transfer.
TSC is now concerned with, insecurity, which it says is discouraging teachers from working in some parts of the country. Since early this year, 1,000 teachers have not report to schools northern Kenya.
