TSC said the teachers will be given time without specifying the compliance period.
Most primary school heads and their deputies have certificates from teachers training colleges while those in secondary schools have degrees.
The new policy will affect technical training institutes and teacher training colleges numbering about 105.
Primary school headteachers and principals of secondary schools and colleges will be expected to have Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees respectively under the new education policy.
Their deputies will also be expected to have similar qualifications as school heads take a more prominent role in the performance of their institutions, said their employer.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) said the teachers will be given time without specifying the compliance period, but a source at the commission said the tutors will have five years to upgrade their qualifications.
Most primary school heads and their deputies have certificates from teachers training colleges while those in secondary schools have degrees.
Previously the teachers have earned promotion based on their performance and years of service, but the TSC is now including academic qualifications.
“Those who lack the required academic qualifications will be given time to go back to school,” said TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia in Mombasa yesterday during the 13th annual primary school headteachers conference.
The new policy will affect technical training institutes and teacher training colleges numbering about 105.
There are about 23,000 heads in primary schools and about 8,600 principals in secondary schools.
“One of the key re-engineering programmes that the TSC has put in place is strengthening of management of schools,” said Ms Macharia
Schools with more than two streams will have two deputies, said the TSC adding that primary head-teachers, secondary school and college principals will no longer serve in their home counties.
The school heads would also not serve in one station for more than nine years.
Dr Macharia said the new policy for delocalisation would improve cohesion of Kenya’s diverse culture.
“This is a major paradigm shift to improve management of institutions,” she said.
“When we have teachers from outside your home counties you give instructions freely, give sanctions, reward without being told you are favouring or are going against the son or daughter of the soil. This will help the head teachers and I urge you to support this policy.”
