TSC publishes teacher appraisal plan despite protests

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has published guidelines for the appraisal of teachers and school heads as part of a drive to improve education standards in public schools despite opposition by unions.

A review of the appraisal forms and guidelines showed that teachers face tough checks on areas such as school and class attendance, quality of teaching, time management, innovation, pupil and student safety as well as their own conduct and discipline.

“The heads of institutions are obligated to provide an oversight role in the performance appraisal for the teachers in their respective institutions. Further they are required to continuously monitor and evaluate the appraisal process and submit termly reports to the County Director through the sub-County Director,” the guidelines read.

Head teachers will not be spared scrutiny and will be rated on diverse parameters including the preparation of strategic plans for their institutions, maintaining budgets, keeping inventories, appraising teachers to boost performance among other tasks.

But even as the guidelines were released, teacher unions on Monday maintained that their members will not sign new performance contracts as planned by the TSC.

“Appraisal is normal and teachers have regularly appraised themselves to gauge their performance. However we are opposed the whole matter of signing new performance contracts because teachers are already on permanent and pensionable contract terms and any changes to this position must be made clear,” Omboko Milemba, national chairman of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) said.

“We have asked our members not to sign any performance with the TSC until proper consultations are held on the matter”

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The appraisals, targeting about 298,000 teachers countrywide, are scheduled to kick off this month according to a schedule released by TSC boss Nancy Macharia in December.

“The initiatives are intended to achieve improved teacher performance competencies and improved learning outcomes,” she said in a circular adding that the appraisal for individual teachers and heads of institutions will inform key management decisions including assignment, training, promotion and deployment to administrative positions for tutors.

The appraisal scheme will cover teachers in primary and secondary schools, national polytechnics, technical training institutes, institutes of science and technology and diploma teacher colleges among others.

Principals of technical training colleges, principals of diploma teacher colleges, heads of primary, secondary and teacher training colleges as well as director of the Kenya Institute of Special Education will also be appraised under the initiative.

According to the circular, heads of institutions will be assessed on resource management, service delivery, maintenance of teaching standards and integrity and national values.

“Heads of institutions shall be responsible for the implementation of performance appraisal at the institutional level,” Ms Macharia said in her circular.