Sossion Urges CBC Taskforce to Reduce to Reduce TSC’s Powers
Former Kenya National Union Of Teachers (KNUT) secretary general Wilson Sossion is now rooting for the reduction of the powers currently enjoyed by the teachers service commission, TSC.
According to the former unionist, the teachers employer should only employ teachers.
“TSC should be confined to employing and managing teachers – to formulate policies to achieve its mandate; recruit and employ registered teachers; assign teachers employed by the commission; promote and transfer teachers; terminate the employment of teachers; review the demand for and the supply of teachers and manage the payroll of teachers,” reads a post submitted by Sossion.
Sossion has maintained in his post that article 237 which established TSC, neither gives it powers to regulate teachers nor to pertake quality assurance and standards.
Further, Sossion argues that Training and capacity building which include Teacher Professional Development is a function of the Ministry of Education.
“The independent status of TSC which the current office has abused on numerous occasions is founded on Chapter 15 of the Constitution. However, it should be noted that the constitutional status of TSC was a political decision rather than a professional resolution and commitment,” says Sossion.
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Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) proposed that TSC be made independent of the Ministry of Education for the commission to mobilise teachers to vote YES in referendum of the Constitution in 2010. The architects of the Constitution had not envisioned the current legal status of TSC in their original thinking.
The leadership of TSC has misconstrued its constitutional status to mean that it has nothing to do with the Ministry of Education or any organisation which has led to perennial clashes with ministry officials, leaderships of trade unions, parliamentary committee on education, and even disobeying the courts.
The commission has interpreted its mandate so generously and has encroached on the constitutional and legal mandate of the Ministry of Education and labour unions. Section II of TSC Act and various sections of the TSC Code of Regulations for Teachers encroached on the powers and functions of the CS for Education.
TSC has virtually taken over the management of public primary and secondary schools – it is more tragic that TSC has also taken over the quality assurance and standards functions in these institutions. This is regrettable because as the employer, it cannot exercise the quality assurance and standards in schools.
TSC single-handedly reviewed the Recognition Agreements signed with teacher unions and has now taken over the running of trade movements which is in violation of Labour Relations Act and Bill of Rights.
