The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) taskforce report is discouraging the local recruitment and staffing of teachers. The report recommends that programmes be put in place for cultural exchange and integration among different schools so that learners can recognise and appreciate the different cultures and dynamics in the country
"On teacher recruitment, the Ministry (of Education) should adopt policy guidelines that discourage local recruitment and staffing of teachers, depending on the circumstances," the report recommends.
Delocalisation policy fired a conflict between Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). The teachers union further noted that the commission affected the quality of education by transferring old and sicky teachers to far-off counties. TSC boss Nancy Macharia had, however, contended that delocalization was a way of promoting national cohesion.
"Delocalisation is simply a transfer; we want to ensure that teachers do not teach in their locality for the entire career," TSC, led by its CEO Nancy Macharia solidly affirmed. Knut was however objected to the custom in which delocalisation was carried in recent years stating that it was meant to punish teachers.
At the same time, the task force report indicates that ethnic hostility, hatred and competition are a major menace to Kenya's progress and to the very continuity of the country.
To encourage social ties and foster unity among all the communities, stakeholders prescribed that the Education Ministry, through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, examines the curricula to include and integrate the teaching of national unity, character, and cohesion to learners throughout their formative or preceding years.
It also suggests the evaluation of policies in the education sector that advance social integration, particularly as regards admission to learning institutions. The stakeholders also coincided with the BBI Report that prearranged efforts should be put in place to ensure a national expectation in the student and staff population in every school.
The report additionally indicated that TSC-deployed teachers in boarding schools should not exceed half of the teachers originating from the outside counties. The report further advised that teachers should be vetted on a case by circumstance basis before being transferred to various counties.
