TSC current verification of documents proceeds smoothly despite isolated incidents

The current recruitment of teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for replacements in primary and secondary schools has entered its second day across the country. Education News covered the exercise in several counties.

On Monday, a few sub-counties conducted secondary school replacements overseen by the boards of management, with TSC representatives present. In many sub-counties in Nyanza, the exercise proceeded well, although non-locals were turned away.

Tensions arose when non-locals were bluntly informed by community members present at the interview venues that they were not permitted to attend. Local dialects were used to identify non-locals. A large turnout was reported on the second day during the document verification process for primary school teachers.

Many applicants

In the Rift Valley, for instance, nearly 800 applicants showed up in one sub-county in Kericho County for fewer than 30 available positions, leading to significant crowding at the verification center entrances. Applicants with babies, pregnant women, the sick, and those with disabilities had to request intervention from Sub-County Directors to be seen first.

Education News learnt that what happened at one centre was replicated in most sub counties with high populations. Our correspondents from coast and Eastern regions, found out that most applicants for Primary schools had not gone back to upgrade their training for Competency- Based Curriculum (CBC) which was a key requirement during the vetting process. Applicants with Diploma upgrade had an edge over their counterparts in terms of marks awarded.

In secondary school section, serving interns had a field day over their colleagues.

The score sheet gave them a whopping 50 marks as a starting point. In some centres, knowledge of presence of a serving intern made the rest of the applicants vacate the venue as it was game over for them.

READ ALSO: Sorrow as Grade 3 learner dies road accident from School

“Why should I waste my time competing with someone who has 50 marks on appearance alone?” asked one applicant in Migori County who found it pointless to stay through the day long event.

The panelists had an easy time owing to the flexibility of the scoring sheet. The officers commended the TSC for ensuring that the applicants were given an opportunity to score themselves before entering the verification rooms. This lessened the time that the applicants took in going through the exercise.

Free and fair process

In Western region, TSC Regional Director, Gabriel Mugele commended the exercise for being carried out seamlessly in the area. He assured the applicants of a free and fair process.

In some sub counties in the North Rift and central Kenya, applicants who graduated as early as 2009 thronged the verification centres to the astonishment of their colleagues.

“We are wondering where old graduates are mushrooming from this time round” wondered one female teacher in Nyandarua County.

This paper however established that the old graduates were now turning to teaching after a long stint with other employers. One applicant in Uasin Gishu agreed that he had worked with a financial institution for almost 12 years until recently when he was laid off.

As document verification exercise enters its homestretch, it is expected that more job seekers will continue dotting different venues. It is incumbent upon the teachers’ employer to ensure that more funds are sourced so as to make more employment opportunities available in future to address the high number of teachers who have graduated long but who have been unlucky to get a chance.

It is harrowing to see applicants with over 50 years who are still languishing in cold as their younger peers get jobs.

By Kaptich Tarus