The Teachers Service Commission is expected to suffer the most as a result of the proposed sector reforms, with the Ministry of Education attempting to erode its sole authority.
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) has proposed that the Ministry of Education take over key functions that TSC currently performs exclusively.
The ministry will have a say in the transfer and promotion of teachers under the far-reaching policy proposals, a role that is central to the TSC mandate.
According to reports, the proposal was influenced by the fact that, while the ministry allocates billions of shillings to schools, it has no influence over the fund managers who report directly to TSC.
This is because, as managers, school heads are designated TSC agents in learning institutions while also supervising the use of ministry funds.
As a result, if PWPER’s draft proposals are adopted in the final report, TSC will lose a significant human resource mandate.
The proposal makes headteachers accountable to the ministry, as opposed to the current practice of holding them accountable to TSC.
Pursuant to the proposals, school principals will be accountable and authorized officers of the Ministry of Education.
The task force has concluded that TSC lacks the capacity to supervise school financial management and has requested that the ministry take over the function.
”Where there has been a case of mismanagement of funds or resources by a headteacher or principal, the Ministry of Education cannot hold the headteacher to account nor is he/she involved in their discipline,” the draft report reads in part.
Over the above, the ministry is also set to take over the role to retrain teachers.
As part of its mandate, TSC enjoys an exclusive mandate to retrain tutors, asserting influence on over 300,000 teachers across the country.
However, under the proposals, the ministry will take over the career progression and professional development programs.
