Category Education News

A teacher who is seeking for a transfer, for instance, must fill the Transfer form that is endorsed by the head and submitted to the TSC for action.

Other, many, types of TSC forms also exist. If you have been wondering where to get the forms, then worry not. Click on the links below to download the forms free of charge and in PDF form. Each form contains instructions on how to complete the parts. Remember to read these instructions correctly before completing the form. In case in doubt, do not hesitate to consult your head or TSC Subcounty office for clarification.

Here are the TSC forms:

TEACHER TRANSFER APPLICATION FORM

This form is filled by a teacher who wishes to change his/ her current work station. The form enables the commission to consider a teacher’s intra and inter county transfer request. The reason for seeking the transfer must be satisfactory enough to warrant the transfer. Such reasons as ‘on medical grounds’ with supportive evidence is presumably given much weight by TSC. Those with organized swaps also get an easy ride.  Click on this link to get the TSC Transfer Form

TSC EMPLOYMENT FORM

This form is filled by teachers after successful interview/ recruitment. Get the TSC Employment Form here

TSC PROMOTION FORM

The TSC promotion form is for common cadre promotions. It is filled by teachers who have successfully served the required number of years in a given job grade. The form is filled by the head of institution. It is good to get the form ready and sent to TSC three months prior the expiry of the required minimum number of years that a teacher is to serve in the job group. The TSC Job group promotion form can be found on this link.

The Education Ministry has appointed a nine-member committee to take charge of the process of exploring the best possible strategies of restoring normalcy in the education sector.

This comes in awake of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic that has hurt the basic education sector most and was threatening to wipe out the gains made to stabilize the academic calendar.

The Education Cabinet Secretary, Prof. George Magoha who launched the team on Tuesday at Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD) said the committee, who work starts immediate effect, would be chaired by KICD Chairperson, Dr. Sara Ruto.

The committee Terms of Reference would be to advise the CS on the reopening of the basic education institutions; pre-primary, primary and secondary schools, Teacher Training Colleges and Adult Education Institutions.

The committee should also review and reorganise the school calendar as part of the Covid-19 post-recovery strategy and advise the CS on ways of handling boarding students/pupils when the schools re-open.

Documentation of all Covid-19 related matters, lessons learnt and recommendations for future preparedness would also be looked at.

The CS said the committee would also look into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the demand for education by poor households and suggest mitigation measures.

The committee, whose Secretariat will be located at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, will further advise the CS on the Health and Safety measures to be put in place for the pupils/students, teachers and entire school community.

The committee is to also identify institutions that may have been adversely affected by Covid-19 and advice on mitigation and recovery measures as well as submit regular reports to the Cabinet Secretary on the implementation progress of Covid-19 related programmes.

The CS noted that although schools were expected to resume learning when the Second Term was scheduled to start on May 4th, 2020, the Government extended the reopening date for one month to given more room for the scaling up of the national efforts to fight the spread of Covid-19.

In the meantime, Prof. Magoha said the Ministry has come up with measures to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 in the education sector, including mounting of online learning and the drafting of a master-plan to guide the response to Covid-19 in the sector.

The Members of the committee are Indimuli Kahi Chairman, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, Nicholas Gathemia Chairman, Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association Peter Ndoro CEO, Kenya Private Schools Association, Nicholas Maiyo Chairman, Kenya Parents Association and Augustine Muthigani from Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Others are Jane Mwangi, Kenya Association for Independent International Schools. Dr. Nelson Makanda of National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Sheikh Munawar Khan from Muslim Education Council and Peter Sitienei Chairman, Kenya Special Schools Heads Association.

Ruth Mugambi from KICD, Patrick Ochich of KNEC, Gabriel Mathenge (TSC), Paul Kibet Director, Secondary Education MoE, Ms. Anne Gachoya Directorate of Policy, Partnerships and EAC and Dr. Loice Ombajo Ministry of Health/University of Nairobi have been named as ex-Officio members.

Upon the outbreak of the Covid-19 in Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the closure of all schools and other learning institutions on March 15th as part of the measures to control the spread of the virus.

Kenya Nation Union of Teachers KNUT has now criticized the move by education cabinet secretary George Magoha to exclude teachers union in the education task force that was recently formed to ensure the school calendar is not affected following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In interview with Ghetto Radio News KNUT deputy secretary general Hesbon Otieno said the union was in the forefront in pushing for the formation of the same task force and by excluding them yet they represent thousands of teachers is uncalled for.

The  Machakos Kenya Union of Post Primary Education (KUPPET) Executive Secretary, Musembi Katuku has called upon the government go slow when rethinking of re-opening education institutions.

Speaking to the press in Machakos on Tuesday, Katuku said it was too early to mull the possibility of opening schools at a time when the number of Covid-19 cases are on the rise in the country.

The unionist warned that any talk of students going back to school soon is not tenable at this time and the best the government can do is ensure the deadly virus which has claimed 36 Kenyans is contained first.

“Let us first embrace the pandemic and also learn to stay with it just like Malaria. Once we are there, let us then start thinking about education and the opening of our schools after the disease has been brought under control,” said Musembi who is also a member of the Machakos County Education Board.

Drawing  examples from Spain, Italy and France that have borne the brunt of the pandemic after losing hundreds of their citizens to Covid-19, the unionist said the most ideal thing for Kenya to do for now, is ease restriction on other sectors like the hospitality industry to help keep the economy afloat, before thinking of allowing pupils and teachers to go back to class.

He said as a union, they are opposed to any idea of asking teachers to go back to school soon owing to the risk of being infected with the disease.

“We are not ready to allow teachers to go back to school when this thing (disease) is on. The teachers can also get it from students who are travelling from counties which have confirmed cases such as Mombasa, Wajir, Mandera and Nairobi. This is not the time to give ultimatums but to work together to end the pandemic,” he added.

He says the Ministry of Education should however first consider allowing class eight and form four students back to class owing to the fact that they are set to sit for their national exams towards the end of the year, adding that the current online learning platform may never achieve much due to logistical challenges.

The  Education Cabinet Secretary(CS), Prof. George Magoha recently issued a strong indication to the effect that schools may remain closed for much longer than expected saying the safety of pupils was of paramount importance.

Initially the government had floated the idea of reopening schools by June 4, but this was dispelled after Magoha said any decisions to do so would depend on the prevailing situation at the time.

The government closed schools among other sectors on March 15 this year after three Covid-19 cases were recorded in the country.

To date, Kenya has recorded a total of 715 infections, 259 recoveries and 36 deaths arising from the pandemic.

Globally, the disease has already claimed 286,353 people with 1.4 million recoveries as at May 12.

More than 4 million others have been infected with the coronavirus even as countries work round the clock to find a vaccine for the disease.

With the Kenya Drama and Film Festival calendar approaching, we may quite-wrongly assume that acting is a waste of time in our rigorous education system. This is a perfect release and an avenue to showcase their talent and become paid actors in a country that has started appreciating art in all its forms.

Most of the school drama clubs that are famous in Kenya for their rigorous approach to stagecraft usually have the most passionate tutors and casting directors. Therefore, their good performances do not come as good luck or favor.

Here, we’re looking at some of the top secondary school drama clubs in Kenya and the different classes of items they’ve presented.

STATE HOUSE GIRLS

The Nairobi’s State House Girls drama club is reasonably-known for Its championship in Choral Verses over the years. The school not only roars in the Nairobi region but in Kenya as a whole. The school’s drama club made another history in 2019 when its coral verse carried the day at Kibabii University.

However, the school stages itself as one of the remarkably high-profile breeding ground for some of Kenya’s most successful stage and screen actresses. Edith Kimani is a product of this school.

ST MARY’S YALA

Located in Siaya County, the Legendary St. Mary’s Yala Drama Club is the epicenter of the spoken word gurus. The club won the spoken word competition at the national level in 2019. It is known for its efforts to make a success of most of the items it presents on stage.

NANYUKI BOYS HIGH SCHOOL
Nanyuki Boys is a school in the county of Laikipia that was started in the year 1965. The school drama club made a national brand after emerging the French play winner in 2019. The club stands as one of the best nationally as it always strives to present at least an item up to the national levels annually.

RIARA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL
The school was founded in 2000 and has excelled both academically and in co-curricular activities. Riara High School drama club has been glowing on the national drama stages for years.

Their play ‘Camels of Tarbaj’ won numerous awards at the 2019 Bungoma national drama festival, including Best Item on the rights of children, Best Production, Best Play in English, Best Actor, Most Original Script, and Best Actress.

IKUU BOYS HIGH SCHOOL
The Ikuu Boys, situated in Meru County, is one of the top performers in the national drama festival. The school drama club, in 2019, participated in the French Choral verse competition and emerged one of the best nationally.
The continued efforts of the club over the years have seen it win various competitions in various item classes.

EREGI GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL
Eregi Girls high school is located in Chavakali, located in Ikolomani South near Maragoli Town, Ikolomani Constituency in Kakamega County. The school has been performing exceptionally in both academics and co-curricular sports for many years. It has one of the best-performing drama clubs in Kenya

In 2019, a member of the Eregi Girls drama club, Juliet Mukari, left the audience in stitches when she presented her Stand-Up comedy in the Kibabii University Hall. Her piece was based on the human behavior of someone who feels jealous of others whenever they succeed. This saw the club winning the competition.

KAPSABET BOYS
Kapsabet Boys High School is situated in Kapsabet, Emgwen Constituency, Nandi County. Alongside excellent academic performance, Kapsabet Boys has one of the best drama clubs in the country. The club has won several trophies over the years. In 2019, it was one of the best in spoken word pieces.

NG’IYA GIRLS
Ng’iya Girls High School is located in the Ng’iya Township, Siaya county. The school was founded in 1962.
The school boasts one of the best drama clubs in Kenya. The club has carried home several awards for years. The last award was in 2019 when the club emerged position one in the Creative Cultural Dance during the Kenya National Drama and Film Festivals.

MUTIGE BOYS SECONDARY SCHOOL
Mutige Boys Secondary is a Boys Only Boarding Only school located in the Gichugu constituency, Kirinyaga county. The school has an exemplary drama club. The award-winning club has passionate individuals who make it lively.
The club championed in Solo Verse at Kibabii University in the 2019 festivals.

MARYHILL GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL
Maryhill Girls High School is a girls’ national boarding school located in Thika and was founded in 1933. Its drama club is superb; it possesses the stage charisma. The club contains the Modern Dance queens, who won the game in the 2019 festivals.

The no-nonsense approach by Teacher Service Commission (TSC) CEO Nancy Macharia on teachers affairs best exemplifies the quintessential iron lady. She has silenced the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) leadership and continues to steer the commission the best way she knows. She took over from Gabriel Lengoiboni who retired in 2015.

Age and Education Background

The TSC chief executive was born in 1963. In 1987, she graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Education in English/Literature. Ms. Nancy pursued a master of Education Policy and Management at Bristol University, UK.

Career

She started as a teacher at Kahuhia Girls’ Secondary in Murang’a before being promoted to deputy principal of Kiandeni Girls’ Secondary in the same county. The ambitious Ms Nancy quit as a teacher and took a job as a staffing officer. She later became director teacher management, reporting directly to the CEO. She was tasked with management of 4 senior deputies.

Background

The CEO position was advertised on May,1. It drew 69 candidates and 4 were shortlisted. After the grueling interviews, Nancy was appointed. She is the 9th person and 1st woman to hold this position.

Training

She has trained both locally and internationally in:
Business excellence models
Public procurement
Information Communication Technology(ICT)
Corporate governance
Proactive management
She is also a member of the Kenya Association of Public Administration Management(KAPAM) and institute of directors.

Controversies

Kenyans on Twitter have continuously bashed Nancy. A section of social media users castigated the CEO for being oblivious to the dangers teachers face working in North Eastern. Teachers in this region face hostility and even some are killed by Al Shabaab militants. The CEO, appeared before the National Assembly’s Education Committee and threatened them with interdiction if they absconded duty.

Achievements

In 2014, President Uhuru awarded her the Order of Grand Warrior. This was due to her development contribution both inside and outside the workplace.

She was part of the team that steered the national integrated data system for TSC. She also negotiated for funds from world bank.

In order to solve the ghost workers problem, she initiated the teacher management information system.

Hobbies

In her CV she cited the following hobbies: traveling, assisting the society’s less fortunate, gym, music and farming.

The number of teachers acquiring higher qualifications has gone up, piling more pressure on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to fast track their promotions.

The 2020 Economic Survey data released yesterday shows the number of teachers who obtained degree level qualifications or higher went up by 6,662, translating to a 7 per cent increase.

This brings to 61,364 the number of teachers who have for the last three years upgraded their education. Overall, the survey says, the total number of teachers with degree qualification stands at 101,560 up from 94,898.

This means TSC may require additional resources to promote the teachers, who will scramble for limited slots. Promotion of teachers who have attained higher qualifications has been a sticky issue pitting the unions against TSC. The survey says the number of teachers with diploma qualifications or below is down by 698. TSC employs more than 300,000 teachers.

During the review period, according to the report, the number of teachers with bachelors’ degree accounted for 94.7 per cent of the total count of teachers. It says the number of teachers with postgraduate degrees has gradually declined to stand at 1,920 in 2019.

Last year only 4,312 teachers had diploma qualifications. The number has decreased by 16.2 per cent to 3,614.

The data shows that the total number of teachers increased by six per cent to 105,234 in 2019 from 99,272 in 2018. The number of male teachers accounts for 59.0 per cent of the total teacher population in 2019.

The data does not include teachers with certificate qualifications, which form the biggest chunk of teachers in public schools.

The Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) is set to hold a virtual graduation ceremony for its students in two weeks, becoming the first Kenyan institution of higher learning to do so.

This comes amid a ban on public gatherings due to Covid-19.
Vice Chancellor Prof Ndirangu Kioni said the move follows requests from students.

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha on Sunday announced that the government had resolved to extend the nationwide school closure by one more month.

CS Magoha, addressing the press at Afya House during the daily Covid-19 briefings, hence intimated that the schools, which were initially set to reopen on May 4, could now resume operations in June.

The CS however added that the national examinations are however still on, saying any other decisions on the contrary will depend on the government’s ability to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.