Raila calls for new job groups for teachers

Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday instructed the Teachers Service Commission to review their policies and create job groups ‘S’ and ‘T’ as demanded by the teachers. Raila said principals and teachers deserve career advancement like other civil servants. He said teachers should also have opportunities like other civil servants. He said this will prevent teachers from being tempted to abandon teaching for other professions that pay much higher.

The PM also put his weight behind the creation of a special scheme for head teachers in the country. Teachers have been calling for a separate scheme of service for principals saying they are also managers. “You have the education of our country in your hands. And that is the reason why I believe that you need to have a special scheme,” said

He said apart from engaging in tuition principals also are engaged in management. He said the teachers also deserve career advancement. “You should have an opportunity like your other counterparts who chose to go into civil service who will start maybe at scale ‘J’ and will move on upto scale ‘R’, S’’ and T. There is no reason why you should not also have a similar scheme,” said Raila. “And that is why I’m saying that this needs to be reviewed. And now I can speak as a Prime Minister that we review so that you can have scale ‘S’ and ‘T’,” he added.

Speaking to head teachers at the Wild Water Complex in Mombasa yesterday, Raila said the government can reallocate resources and transfer more funds for employment of teachers. He said in the next financial year, resources must be set aside to employ upto 50,000 teachers. He said head teachers and heads of departments must also be given responsibility allowances. He said Early Childhood Education teachers must be employed arguing that that is the level where education starts.