TSC to grant leave for teachers serving as election officials

Teachers who will be part of election officials will be granted leave, the TSC has said.

Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia wrote to county and sub-county directors on August 1 approving the leave.

There are teachers who act as polling clerks, returning officers, deputy presiding officers and presiding officers.

The electoral agency has started conducting training for these officials.

IEBC had written to TSC requesting the commission to allow teachers to be part of the poll officials.

“Grant leaves to all teachers who have been contracted by IEBC as election officials as per the provisions of the code of regulation for teachers,” Macharia said.

She directed that teachers resume school once the ministry declares it safe to proceed with studies.

Macharia said they will be required to abide by Education CS George Magoha’s Monday directive or wait for further communication.

“Ensure that all teachers report to school on August 11 when schools are re-opened, or as would be advised by the commission,” she said.

Macharia further asked school heads to prepare all institutions that will be used by IEBC during the elections.

“Inform institutional administrators to ensure that all schools designated by the IEBC as polling centres are made available for the exercise,” she added.

This is even as the directive to close schools on Tuesday continues to receive a backlash from education officials and parents.

 Magoha on Monday directed schools to release learners to pave the way for the August 9 polls. 

“Schools and parents are advised to ensure that learners from all basic education institutions proceed on their final half-term effective Tuesday, August 2, and resume Thursday, August 11,” CS said. 

On Monday, Kuppet secretary general Akello Misori said the directive for learners to resume school on August 11, two days after the election, was impractical.

"This is outright impractical since the elections will take nearly a week to conclude. Moreover, parents need reasonable time to assess whether their children can travel and settle in schools safely," Misori said.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers boss said studies should resume on August 15. 

Misori termed Magoha's directive as hasty, saying the CS did not consult education stakeholders.

But Magoha said in a statement the decision was arrived at after "further consultations."

"Any stakeholder with a legitimate interest in the school calendar would have advised against the hasty decision," Misori said.

According to a Gazette notice from the IEBC, almost 250 schools will be used as tallying centres.

In the second schedule of county tallying centres, 15 out of the 47 counties will have the tallying centres in schools.

Another 17 institutions of higher education will be used as county tallying centres.