By Okong’o Oduya
Private school Association call on commission over TSC number
Busia County, Kenya: Kenya private schools association in Busia County is calling upon the teachers’ service commission ( TSC) to start issuing out interim TSC number to graduates immediately they leave colleges.
According to their chairman David Karani, private schools are complying with rules and regulations that are set by the commission, however, they find it hard to engage teachers who graduate and come out to look for jobs without TSC numbers.
“It will be much better for the commission to start issuing out TSC number to graduates immediately they finish schooling. Teaching is like driving, you cannot drive without driving license, the same thing, the teacher cannot teach without obtaining his/her personal number from the commission.”
“We are ready to absorb fresh graduates, but without TSC numbers some time we find ourselves in a fix between the commission and the job seekers,” he said
On government crackdown on private schools that do not meet the government requirements, Mr. Karani said the members are adhering to the regulations in place, adding that they have measures in place to deal with those who do not comply.
He challenged the government for jeopardizing the competence-based curriculum in private schools saying that since the introduction of the program, as private schools they cannot access textbooks from bookshops since the government orders them directly from the publishers.
He says all the bookshops in the county are unable to sell the books from the publishers.
“The government is purchasing texts books on CBC directly from publishers to public primary schools, this leaves booksellers with nothing to sell to the other members of public making it hard for us to effectively carry out the program.”He noted.
As much as they are facing challenges in obtaining the necessary leaning materials as an association, Karani noted that they are engaging the relevant ministry to make sure that they are not left behind in implementing the new curriculum.
Addressing the media after the meeting that brought together all the private school directors and headteachers from Busia and Bungoma counties, Mr. Karani said the private schools support the new curriculum adding that the system will put a hand on skills on school-going children.
“The standard eight students undergoing the 8-4-4 system can’t think beyond paperwork compared to those doing CBC. The current grade four students are capable of identifying a problem and address it, unlike their counterparts in the 8-4-4 system who will wait to be given directions,” he said
The office education Busia County urged the private school’s directors and headteachers in the county to recruit qualified teachers to avoid being victimized by the ministry
The director of education Thadeus Owuor said, it is against the ministry’s regulation for any school to bring onboard any teachers without TSC number.
