The Ministry of Education has dropped a bombshell with its latest proposal on the tenure of school principals. Brace yourself, folks, because according to this new idea, principals will only serve for two terms without any chance of renewal.
Naturally, this proposal hasn’t gone down well with the Teachers Service Commission, the Kuppet union, and the Kenya National Union of Teachers. They’ve voiced their concerns, shaking their heads in disagreement. It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole – it just doesn’t make sense to them.
The Ministry of Education argues that we should abide by the Basic Education Regulations of 2014 (BER) and let the Cabinet Secretary designate all heads of institutions across the nation. On the other side of the ring, the teacher’s employer stands firm, believing it’s their responsibility to hire and promote all teachers. They’ve got the backing of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet). It’s a classic case of “you say potato, I say potahto.”
If this proposal gets the green light, all the principals out there will have to jump through some hoops. Fresh applications will need to be submitted, as if they’re vying for a talent show rather than running a school. It’s a whole new ballgame, my friends.
The TSC might lose its privilege to choose its own personal agent. Talk about a power shift! If the incumbent principals are deemed unfit to handle school resources, a new leader will swoop in to save the day and bring the school back in line with the law. I bet there will be some nervous sweat stains on those principal’s collars.
Now, let’s talk about the term limits. The proposed regulations suggest that each Institutional Director shall serve a five-year term, with a chance for reappointment for two additional five-year terms. So, in total, they’ll be at the helm for a maximum of fifteen years. That’s quite a marathon!
And here is the catch, before deciding whether to reappoint a teacher, their performance during the previous five years will be put under the microscope. It’s like an annual performance review, except the stakes are higher. I can already imagine some principals sweating buckets during that evaluation.
If a principal manages to survive two terms of five years at the same institution, they might get a chance to work their magic at another school for a third term. It’s like an academic adventure, hopping from one institution to another and spreading their wisdom like confetti.
Part 92 of the Basic Education Regulations 2014, which covers some of the points we’ve discussed, received a big thumbs-down from Knut and KUPPET officials. They felt it was unjust, the two unions argued that the ministry has no right to hire new employees because that’s the job of the TSC.