Fresh details have emerged that Teachers Service Commission is planning for a review the initial 2021-2025 CBA proposal, which it had earlier on submitted to the SRC. TSC sent its counter CBA salary proposal of between 16 to 32 per cent to the SRC on September 29^th 2020.

However, after the SRC job evaluation report and the Naivasha retreat between TSC and KUPPET, details  emerged of a plan by TSC to review its counter proposal upwards. According to the sources, the teachers’ employer plans to push the counter proposal to between 20 and 35 per cent. Just like the previous proposal, this planned proposal review is geared towards favouring the classroom teacher.

“Kuppet and TSC have developed a new Job Description capturing the true worth of a classroom teacher. The new descriptions recognise the teachers’ leadership and technical work within and outside classroom, which had been ignored by the evaluation tool previously used by SRC,” reads a statement released Kuppet one month ago.

It has also emerged that Kuppet is pushing for classroom teachers to get higher pay as the present job evaluation favoured administrators.This is after TSC and KUPPET agreed last month  that there are up to 30 new roles of classroom teachers including class management and substantial financial responsibility during outdoor activities like tours and sports.

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The statement resonates with the SRC report which disclosed that the last job evaluation was skewed, favouring school heads while leaving classroom teachers broke.

The report shows the present job descriptions of the classroom teachers, based on the 2016/2017 evaluation, grossly undervalued their worth, resulting in poor pay.

“There were significant disparities in the compensation and career progression between the institutional administrators and classroom teachers in the teaching profession as the job evaluation results for 2016/2017 did not adequately cater for the remuneration of classroom teachers. This might be attributed to poor development of job descriptions in 2016,” reads the report.

The good news for classroom teachers however is that results of the 2021/2022 – 2021/2025 remuneration review cycle, which will be used to negotiate the next phase of teachers’ salaries now captures their true worth and outlines an elaborate job description.

The new job evaluation also recognises classroom teachers’ new tasks under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), which also gives them supervisory roles.

The statement by Kuppet on delay on tabling a counter offer by SRC dashed hopes of thousands of teachers who hoped that the meeting would yield some hope for the talks.

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The meeting agreed that promotion of C3 teachers and Teachers Training Colleges tutors be addressed.

This as it emerged that job re-evaluation has resulted in the creation of a new opening in C4 for Senior Master IV and Senior Lecturer IV for those in TTCs who do not have administrative positions.

“At the moment, the Commission has advertised 6,680 vacancies for these cadres as the first step towards institutionalizing C4 as a promotional grade from C3,” said Misori.

The Kuppet statement further said that under the CBC, the TTC tutors will be training teachers at diploma level hence the repositioning of their roles.

“Administrators in TTCs including deans and registrars will have career path with substantive appointments,” reads the statement.

The meeting also addressed the diploma teachers career path. It emerged that when the 2016 CBA commenced, more than half of teachers who had joined service at Job Group J had obtained bachelors of education degrees and transited to graduate scheme of service.

Kuppet also said that TSC agreed to suspend the requirements of Master’s degree for principals or other promotions within the teaching service.

KUPPET has raised concern over delayed talks on new salaries, three months to the end of Sh54 billion Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

A report from a meeting between Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, KUPPET, and TSC in Naivasha heard that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) is yet to give advisory for the talks.

KUPPET officials were concerned since time is running out for the talks as the precious CBA ends end of June 2021.

“We are seriously concerned by this delay by SRC since expiry of the current CBA on June 30 is fast approaching,” said Akello Misori, Kuppet secretary general.

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The statement came after a four-day meeting with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) management and technical team in Naivasha.

Mr Misori said the union and TSC have so far played their role in the talks and blamed the delayed process on SRC.

“What remains is for the SRC to give its advisory to TSC to enable the employer table a counter offer to the union,” said Misori.

Kuppet has already pitched a salary increment of between 30 and 70 per cent for the new CBA. This meant that the lowest paid teachers would get the higher percentage with highest paid teachers getting the lower percentage.

The Kuppet proposal would see the lowest-paid teachers’ salaries rise from Sh21,756 to Sh36,985 while those in higher cadres under Job Group D4 who currently earn Sh118,242 would take home Sh153,714.

TSC sent its proposed salary offer of between 16 to 32 per cent to the SRC on September 29, last year., and all that KUPPET wants now is SRC to table its counter offer before KUPPET-SRC talks begin.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) which had proposed a salary increment of between 120 and 200 per cent was not party to the Naivasha meeting.

The statement by Kuppet on delay on tabling a counter offer by SRC dashed hopes of thousands of teachers who hoped that the meeting would yield some hope for the talks.

Conclusions Of KUPPET-TSC Sawela Hotel Retreat

In an effort to improve the welfare of teachers in Kenya, KUPPET and TSC held a four day retreat at Naivasha’s Sawela hotel from 14^th march- 18^th march 2021. The two parties discussed a number of issues including 2021-2025 CBA, teacher’s medical service provider, and promotions among others. They arrived at the following conclusions.

New CBA To Give worth of a classroom teacher

KUPPET and TSC have developed new job descriptions capturing the true worth of a classroom teacher. The new job descriptions recognize the teachers’ leadership and technical work within and outside the classroom, which had been ignored by the evaluation tool previously used by the SRC.

There are up to 30 new roles of the classroom teacher, including classroom management and substantial financial management during outdoor activities like tours and sports.

In the new CBA, a teacher’s work will even be more complex.

Promotion of C3 teachers and TTC tutors

The job reevaluation has resulted in the creation of new opening in C4 for senior master IV and senior lecturer IV for those in TTCs who lack administrative positions. At the moment, the commission has advertised 6680 vacancies for these carders as the first step towards institutionalizing C4 as a promotional grade for C3.

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Under the CBC, the TTC tutors will be training teachers at the diploma level, hence, the repositioning of their roles. Administrators in TTCs, including deans and registrars will have a clear path with substantive appointments.

Diploma Teachers

The career path for diploma teachers has been clarified. By the commencement of the 2016 CBA on 8^th November 2017, more than half of teachers who had joined service at job group J had obtained BED and transited to the graduate schemes of service. Among those who had not, those who had served more than three years in one job group had been promoted to the next job group i.e. K or L under the common cadre promotions.

However, a small number of teachers, who had served in one job group for less than three years had their promotions, following the scrapping of one common cadre promotional level. Following the unions memorandums, the commission has advertised promotions specifically, to this group of teachers. We understand that the commission received fewer applicants than the number of vacancies declared.

Maternity Leave For Intern Teachers

The commission agreed that, except for specific provisions of their contract, all intern teachers will work under the same conditions as provided under the code of regulations for teachers. The intern teachers qualify for maternity leave of 90 working days with effect from the expected date of delivery, as do other teachers.

Policy On Post Graduate Qualifications

The commission agreed to suspend the requirement of a master’s degree for principals or other promotions within the teaching service. This is in line with the regulations by the public service commission which has scrapped the requirement of a master’s degree for promotions at job group P and above. Post graduate qualifications will be considered as an added advantage.

The union however demanded the introduction of a post graduate allowance for teachers who poses masters and PHD degrees, irrespective of their positions in service.

Redeployment of graduate teachers from primary

In readiness for the new CBC curriculum, the commission will promote 1000 graduate teachers who initially had P1 qualifications to secondary schools in the next financial year. By June 30, it shall have deployed 2000 of such teachers, and the redeployment will continue until the numbers are fully addressed. The teachers must have obtained a KCSE mean grade of C+ and C+ in the two teaching subjects.

Teachers’ Medical Scheme

The meeting observed the numerous problems teachers face in accessing health services under the medical scheme. It was agreed that an inter parties meeting between the TSC, minet and KUPPET will be held soon to discuss the issues and recommend solutions.