KNUT and TSC Strike Agreement to Jointly Sensitize Teachers on TPD
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) have agreed to jointly launch a sensitization program on Teacher Professional Development (TPD).
This information was revealed by the KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu following a series of meetings with the Commission held at Naivasha.
According to Collins Oyuu, KNUT agreed with TSC to launch a sensitization program to encourage teachers to join and attend the TPD.
While KNUT which now has 115,000 members has revealed in the past that while the TPD launched back in 2013 was a good initiative, the Commission did not invest in the sensitization of teachers on its needs, its usefulness and its benefits.
According to Oyuu, KNUT and TSC came to an agreement that the Commission organizes sensitization workshops for all teachers in order to make them understand the TPD and its implementation.
The union’s leader revealed that the resistance towards the TPD was caused by the apparent lack of proper sensitization.
Teachers have been paying Kshs. 6,000 for each module which is required to be done over five years.
Some teachers have been taking the course remotely while others opted to physically attend the courses.
The program comprises six modules with the TPD training conducted during the holidays with teachers awarded points at the end of each module.
After completing all the modules, teachers will qualify for re-certification and promotion. This is because the modules have been structured in line with the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG).
Teachers were asked to pay for the TPAD in July despite the National Assembly has allocated funds for the same.
The National Treasury allocated Kshs. 1.16 billion to the Teachers Service Commission for the purpose of training teachers.
The 2022-2023 budget had an allocation of Kshs. 289.37 billion as gross current and capital estimates and Kshs. 7.23 billion for general administration, planning and support services.
Once a teacher begins the TPD programme, he or she will be required to acquire a certificate renewable every five years.
The guidelines provided on the TPD, detail the minimum guidelines for teachers’ employment and promotion and the new grading structures and respective salary scales.
However, despite resistance from teachers, the Commission’s CEO Dr Nancy Macharia said that the program will improve teachers’ knowledge, skills, attitude and values and foster teachers’ learning communities. Besides, the program will keep teachers abreast with changes happening in the academic world.
TSC selected Mount Kenya University (MKU), Riara University, Kenya University (KU) and the Kenya Management Institute (KEMI) to conduct the TPD training.
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