Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has directed that teachers who are pursuing degree courses during holidays should stop and instead focus on improving students' performance as they wait for study leaves.
In a report published on April 19, TSC chief executive officer Mrs. Nancy Macharia called for an audit of all teachers enrolled in school-based programmes in various institutions.
“Institutional administrators are directed to compile a comprehensive list and details of teachers undertaking private studies on school-based programmes and submit to their respective sub-county directors for monitoring,” she said, according to the same report.
This new directive is wrong and will affect many teachers who have invested time and resources to further their studies.
The argument that school-based programmes have compromised quality teaching in most public schools in baseless and do not add up.
We all know that teachers attend to their further studies only when schools are closed.Instead of sitting idle at home, they make use of that opportunity to upgrade their teaching skills.
When schools open, they go back to teaching with improved skills.In fact, school-based programmes are vital in improving quality of teaching.
During holidays, students are at home.Even if teachers enrolled in school-based programmes were to stop attending lectures, how will they improve quality teaching? How does that affect learners?
It does not add up.
There is a shortage of teachers and TSC should embrace school-based as it ensures teachers further their education and at the same time, they report to work.
TSC should come clear on the real motive behind stopping teachers from attending school-based programmes.
Is it because they do not want teachers to seek promotions?
They should also come clear on the way teachers will be given study leaves to enable them to improve their skills.
TSC needs to re-think this directive.
They need to take into consideration those who have taken loans from banks and HELB to further their studies.
They need to think of those teachers who have families and can only make use of public holidays to attend studies.