Teacher Service Commission acting CEO Eveleen Mitei before the National Assembly Committee on Education on June 19 /ENOS TECHE
MPs have decried the new teachers’ hiring system, saying it has sidelined older graduates, who are retiring while jobless.
National Assembly Education Committee said it is unfair for tutors to hit 45 years without a job when fresh graduates make it to the Teachers Service Commission payroll.
Lawmakers now want TSC to relook at the system, which accords all subcounties an equal amount of slots, saying it has been unfair to areas with a high number of registered teachers.
Interestingly, the current model was pushed by the same committee that demanded equal share for all the 396 subcounties.
The committee on Thursday ordered the commission to compile and submit a register of all unemployed teachers aged 35 years and above with a view of prioritising them in subsequent recruitments.
The committee vice chairperson and Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara said the statistics will help in understanding the financial implications of absorbing the tutors one-off.
Narok Woman Representative Rebecca Tonkei also backed the suggestion, insisting the committee must go flat out to have the forgotten teachers in the payroll.
“It is sad some people even sell their property to get resources to train as a teacher, and then later on, you stay for 10 or more years and don't get employed,” she said.
“I want to request TSC to get the data of all teachers and submit the list for a way forward.”
Igembe North MP Julius Taitum while calling for a review of the new model, argued that the current system has seen subcounties with fewer numbers of trained teachers recruiting last year's graduates while those with high numbers still grappling with 2018 backlogs.
“You will find that a subcounty with 100 qualified teachers is recruiting last year's graduates while a neighbouring constituency with more than 1,000 teachers still has those who graduated in 2018 not absorbed, is that fair?” Taitum asked.
The move follows mounting pressure from unemployed teachers – some graduated as early as 2015 – who are yet to get employed despite their advanced age.
TSC acting CEO Eveleen Mitei appeared before the committee to respond to queries raised on the floor by MPs.
She was accompanied by commission’s legal director Cavin Anyuor.
Taitum urged the commission to consider affirmative action and dedicate the coming hiring to those aged 45 years and above.
TSC, while appearing to side with MPs’ proposal to absorb one-off all the aged teachers, insisted that the matter is subject to the commission's deliberation.
Ring fencing hiring for a certain age group, Anyuor said, is discriminatory and may face legal headwinds.
“Before 2020, we had put the age for recruitment at 45. A Kenyan went to court and the court declared that unconstitutional,” he said.
“Since 2021, we have been employing teachers up to the age of 59 and 11 months. So, if you are 59 years old, you are eligible for employment.”
“If you are one day before 60, you are eligible for employment. It does not discriminate.”
Teso South MP Mary Emaase also said the commission should consider unemployed tutors immediately they hit 40 or 50 years.
“You need to change your policy, or if it requires our intervention, then we are ready. That a teacher must be employed at age 45 so that at least they can serve for 15 years,” she suggested.
“There should be a sunset clause that at least by the age of 45 or 50, if not been absorbed, let that teacher be employed at that point so that they can work at least for 10 years or 15 years. Because what is the point of employing a teacher now at age 57 or 59 to work for one year? I mean, it's not fair."
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Concerns have been raised on teachers’ recruitment as it emerge that some teachers end up hitting the retirement age jobless. While the commission is recruiting on the available budget and existing vacancy combination, many teachers are still locked out prompting calls for an affirmative action to save tutors aged above 45 years. At one time, the Commission tried awarding more marks based on year of graduation but that too has not helped the situation.
