TSC Transfer Board Starts Making Online Transfer Approvals
Delocalized teachers are rushing online to make transfer requests and changes as the Commission transfer boards start to make online approvals.
The Commission has started to approve transfers for teachers who had their transfers acknowledged. TSC had indicated that it will effect transfer requests for 21,544 delocalized teachers by April.
The Commission will approve the regional and inter regional transfer requests and release the letters in May when schools reopen.
During the last transfer approvals most teachers who applied for transfers out of their regions were not considered.
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The Commission is under pressure to re-route delocalized teachers back home. While appearing before the Senate TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia said that mechanisms have been put in place to transfer the teachers back to their regions easily.
This means factors that initially barred teachers from being transferred like five-year rule, or presence of suitable replacement will no longer be used.
Initially the transfers depended on the availability of vacancies in the station, the need for replacement, existing staffing norms and medical grounds certified by a registered medical practitioner.
However, Macharia told the Senate Committee on Education that the transfer of teachers from one institution to another is based on the need for equitable distribution and optimal utilization of teachers.
Last week it emerged that Nairobi City County is the most preferred region by teachers seeking transfers. In a document submitted to the Senate Committee on Education by TSC, a total of 36,277 teachers applied for transfers between November 1 last year and January 31 this year.
TSC says, of the teachers,14,733 were matched and approved while 21,544 are pending.
TERMS RELATED TO ONLINE TRANSFER
Pending: This is displayed once the teacher’s application is successfully delivered awaiting remarks from respective supervisors.
Not Approved: This is same as when the teacher’s request is regretted. This is applicable if the teacher has not met conditions set as per the transfer policy for example having not served in the replacement or vacancy.
Approved: This is displayed after the transfer committee approves the teachers transfer request. institutions and through the County Director in the case of primary school.
NOTE: When a transfer request is withdrawn it simply means it was not successful or was successful and a new one can now be placed.
The document signed on behalf of Macharia by the Director of Legal, Labour and Industrial Relations Cavin Anyuor, explains that not all teachers applied to be transferred to their home counties.
“Some transfer requests are for transfers other than home counties. As an employer, the commission cannot dictate to a teacher to apply to be transferred to a particular county. Similarly, the commission cannot decline a transfer request simply because a teacher hasn’t applied to be taken to his home county,” the document reads in part.
The teachers’ employer also warned against what she termed as the misinterpretation of the reversal of the delocalization policy to mean that teachers must now not only teach in their home counties but also in their villages.
According to TSC, if the commission was to move every teacher to their home counties, regions that have not produced enough of their own as teachers will suffer from under-staffing
“….Those that have excess teachers would be overstaffed, leading to wastage of resources,” TSC said, adding that Arid and semi-arid areas as well as the hard-to-staff areas would mostly be the victims.
TSC also held that the commission must first ensure that the station a teacher is leaving has a suitable replacement and that there is a vacancy in the preferred station before effecting a transfer request.
TSC is implementing the delocalisation policy following the government’s move to post teachers to their home counties. Data submitted to the Senate by the commission also revealed that most teachers prefer to work in Nairobi City County.
During the period, 1,885 teachers applied to be transferred to the capital city while 76 requested to be transferred out of Nairobi.
Some 41 requests out of 1,162 to primary schools and four to secondary schools out of 723 were approved by TSC by end of January.
During the same period,45 primary school teachers left the capital while only one secondary school teacher left.
Bungoma county received the highest number of transfer requests by primary school teachers who wanted to move in at 1,336 teachers.
The number of those who wanted to be transferred out of Bungoma County stood at 1,074 teachers.
Mombasa County is also a favourite among secondary school teachers, with 340 applying to move to the Coastal City against 55 who asked to be moved out.
Kajiado County also emerged as one of the most preferred counties after receiving 237 transfer requests for teachers in secondary schools against 94 who requested to be transferred out of the county.
For primary school teachers,486 applied to work in the county against 434 who asked to be taken elsewhere.
However caution was issued against delocalized teachers who transfer without being officially released by the Head of Institution (HOI), Sub County Director (SCD) and the County Director (CD).
