• According to new TSC regulations, a school head will serve a maximum of nine years in one institution before being relocated
• Legislator calls for more teachers.
Image: SOLOMON MUINGI
Voi MP Jones Mlolwa has asked education stakeholders to support the delocalisation of teachers.
It is "a sure way of improving the quality of education", he said on Monday at Voi CDF hall, Taita Taveta.
Mlolwa said politicising the Teachers Service Commission transfers would derail education reforms.
He said some teachers have overstayed in their workstations.
“Some teachers have stayed in one school for over 24 years yet they are opposing delocalisation. It is clear they don’t want to leave their comfort zones,” Mlolwa said.
"We have to totally support TSC in these transfers if we want quality education."
According to new TSC regulations, a school head will serve a maximum of nine years in one institution before being relocated.
Mlolwa was speaking during a meeting with Voi constituency primary school heads and boards of management.
He urged parents to support education by paying fees on time. Their lack of support has contributed to poor education standards.
Kenya Primary School Heads Association Taita Taveta chairman Granton Mwaliko said parents do not actively participate in education matters.
“Free education will never be meaningful if parents do not fully support their children. We are all aware that the allocation by the government is not enough and therefore we expect parents to provide some learning resources,” he said.
Mlolwa said teachers lack training on the competency-based curriculum and can, therefore, not implement it. He said most teachers could not grasp the concept in grades one, two and three.
A week ago Knut urged the government to suspend the roll-out of the new curriculum, which has already covered grades one to three.
Secretary general Wilson Sossion said teachers are still incompetent in the delivery of the new curriculum.
The legislator urged TSC to post more teachers to Taita Taveta, saying most schools are understaffed.
“We are ranked among the top 10 counties with enough teachers, but that is not true. TSC is looking at the ratio of teachers to pupils which I consider as a wrong concept,” Mlolwa said.
“Due to our low population, some schools have a population of less than 100 pupils with only three teachers. That is way below ratio.”