TSC MUST RESCIND THIS UNFORTUNATE UNILATERAL EDUCATIONAL DISARMAMENT.

The teaching profession can only be added quality if teachers are given a sense of empowerment and responsibility. It is therefore everyone`s expectation that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has to encourage teachers to embrace further education and training. But this is not what is presently happening. Apparently many of the failures and problems in the teaching profession can be traced to inefficient and unresponsive systems of teacher management. To begin with, TSC does not value the enhancement of quality among teachers. It is absurd for an employer who ought to demand quality above everything else be the one issuing an unorthodox decree that seeks to bar teachers from quality enhancement. This is clearly perpetuation of a pure misnomer. It is such attitude from TSC that has over time removed glamour from this once highly respected profession. Consequently the teaching profession suffers from image crisis. Fewer and fewer people want to be associated with the teaching profession in primary and secondary schools. A visit to our public and private universities indicates that teaching as a career has hit an all time low. Very few students are taking teaching as a career. This trend portends disaster for our Nation. The educational foundations of our society are presently are undoubtedly being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrities perpetuated by the TSC. Among other things, TSC has unilaterally barred teachers from taking study leaves to pursue further studies on grounds of teacher shortages in schools. Through this unfortunate pronouncement TSC seeks to dismantle essential support systems which enable teachers bring quality back to class. TSC has, in effect, committed an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament. Unfortunately if this mediocrity is allowed to go on our very future as a Nation and a people will be threatened. Yet TSC`s stance of being a permanent stumbling block to teachers professional growth does not come as a surprise at all given its penchant for disregarding quality in the teaching profession. Instead, its number one concern has been to heavily reward employees of the TSC at the expense of teachers. For instance, a clerical officer employed by TSC will earn Kshs 30, 000 while a primary school teacher with more years of education will earn a paltry Kshs 13,000. The disparity in terms of salaries between TSC employees and teachers keeps on increasing across the different job groups. It appears as though TSC has advised the government to ensure that teachers' salaries do not keep pace with either inflation or the salaries of most other professionals, as a way of retaining teachers in the teaching profession. Not only are starting salaries low but they fail to grow fast enough to be competitive. Consequently, teachers are demoralized not only by low salaries but also by loss of status, bureaucratic pressures, a negative public image and a lack of recognition and rewards. As a way of getting themselves out of this prison of some sorts, many teachers want to pursue further education as a means to enhancing their pay package. Unfortunately, a masters degree holder is given a paltry two increments which is hardly the teacher`s worth. Those who wish to go beyond the masters level will be hit by the realization that currently TSC has not thought of retaining teachers who have attained the doctorate degree. These highly educated and experienced teachers have to look for greener pastures elsewhere. Perhaps the decision by TSC to bar teachers from taking study leave is as a realization that the number of teachers quitting TSC for greener pastures is on a steady rise. TSC has in the meantime to contend with teacher shortages. TOME FRANCIS, BUMULA. http://twitter.com/tomefrancis