Even as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) insists that pursuing higher education will not guarantee teachers promotions, there is need for more clarity on the matter.
The government should ensure it does not stifle the quest by individual teachers to pursue higher education. There is nothing wrong with furthering one’s studies. According to the TSC, promotions will be based on experience and work input and not academic qualifications. It argues that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission had recommended that one be paid according to what they do.
It says that additional degrees will be considered only for those seeking administrative positions such as head teachers and their deputies.
On its part, the Kenya National Union of Teachers has been pushing for the promotion of more than 30,000 teachers who had attained degrees since 2014. The teachers’ employer should come up with a career progression chart that not only rewards academic excellence but also recognises higher qualifications. The goal should be to ensure that teachers do not abandon their core teaching duties in their quest for higher learning.
