The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) has dismissed assertions that there are plans for a mass transfer of teachers across the nation. This comes following viral news that published by the Standard paper alleging that the commission has ordered its regional staff to get and forward data of school heads who have stayed in one institution for more than 9 years.
The allegations went ahead to claim that such school heads would be transferred after the KCPE, KCSE national exams are over in April and May.
On February 26th a memo by TSC to all Regional Directors sought to be provided with details of primary school headteachers and principals of secondary institutions who have quitted teaching service.
But, in a report to newsrooms on Tuesday, TSC stated that the internal memo that was quoted by a local newspaper only inquired for regular field data on staffing of institutions for better planning purposes and was not meant to open transfers.
“Our attention has been drawn to a story in the Standard of today, 9th March 2021, under the headline TSC sets the pace for Fresh round of mass transfers. The TSC wishes to refute the claims made in the story that the Commission plans to conduct a mass transfer of teachers countrywide,” said the Director of Staffing Rita Wahome.
TSC moreover stated that its boss Dr Nancy Macharia stated ahead of the schools’ resumptions in January 2021 that the TSC would not carry mass transfer of instructors in 2021 owing to the hurdles emerging from COVID- 19.
The clogged revised academic calendar and the rescheduled national examinations calendar in March were also among the reason why TSC would not undertake any transfer of teachers this year.
TSC noted that Dr Nancy Njeri Macharia affirmed to the nation that only those positions left vacant through natural attrition will be filled.
“The Commission, therefore, wishes to assure teachers that the Commission does not plan to effect any mass transfers as alleged in the newspaper story. Teachers must be left to continue conducting their normal teaching duties and conduct the national examinations without any interference,” the statement adds.
