You're free to criticise TSC, but please give credit where it's due

There has been a sustained attack against the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in recent months. Social media platforms have become a marketplace of disparaging remarks, half-truths and outright misinformation.

Leading the chorus of critics are familiar names such as former Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion who has never missed an opportunity to throw a punch at the commission that once made his professional life miserable.

For Sossion, perhaps the bitterness is personal and therefore understandable. But what is disturbing is that his criticism has found easy echo chambers among individuals and groups who should know better - including some teachers and education commentators.

To be fair, any public institution must be open to scrutiny and criticism. The TSC is not perfect and it has its fair share of challenges. However, what we are witnessing lately is not constructive criticism but an orchestrated attempt to delegitimise an institution that has done remarkably well in stabilising the teaching service during one of the most turbulent periods in Kenya’s education history. It is unfair to criticise without offering alternatives or acknowledging the good things someone has done. 

When Nancy Macharia’s tenure ended, many expected chaos and confusion in the leadership transition. Yet, under the stewardship of the acting CEO Eveleen Mitei, the TSC has not only remained steady but has demonstrated administrative competence and visionary leadership. Dr Mitei, a seasoned education administrator, has shown firmness and understanding in balancing the interests of the government, teachers and the public.

The ongoing transition to the Competency-Based Curriculum have posed enormous logistical and human resource challenges. Yet, the commission has navigated these transitions smoothly - deploying, training and promoting teachers in record numbers to meet the new system’s demands.

Critics may want to ignore this, but any honest observer knows the scale of what TSC has achieved under Mitei’s watch. The commission has facilitated the training of thousands of teachers on the CBC approach ensuring that no learner is left stranded because of a lack of qualified instructors. This has been achieved despite budgetary constraints, delayed disbursement of funds and shifting policy demands from the Ministry of Education.

Another major success that must not go unacknowledged is the improvement in teachers’ welfare and career progression. For years, teachers lamented about stagnation - some spending over a decade in one job group without promotion. Under the current TSC leadership, those concerns have been addressed systematically.

Thousands of teachers have received long-awaited promotions. The implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, negotiated between the unions and the commission, has been honoured in both spirit and letter. It is important to remember that many of these gains came at a time when other public sector workers were facing wage freezes and austerity.

Equally commendable is how the commission has handled the issue of teachers’ health insurance. The AON-Minet scheme had its fair share of complaints, but under the current management, there has been a deliberate effort to review the policy framework, streamline service delivery and ensure teachers receive value for their money. The commission has established open channels for feedback and redress, a rare thing in public institutions. Currently, the commission is migrating the over 400,000 teachers to the Social Health Insurance Fund. 

The TSC has also remained steadfast in maintaining professionalism within the teaching service. Through effective supervision, disciplinary procedures, and teacher management systems, the commission has ensured that the dignity of the profession is upheld. While critics accuse the TSC of being high-handed or bureaucratic, they forget that every profession requires discipline and accountability. The commission’s insistence on merit-based appointments, strict adherence to ethical standards and the use of digital platforms for transparency are steps in the right direction.

What is perhaps most unfortunate is that much of the criticism aimed at the TSC appears politically motivated. The noise about “radical surgery” and “restructuring” is not born out of genuine concern for teachers but from personal ambitions and power games. The position of CEO is vacant, and there are those eyeing it desperately. In their quest for visibility, they have resorted to smearing the very institution they hope to lead. That kind of hypocrisy should be called out.

Mitei has proved beyond doubt that she is capable of steering the TSC. She has passed every test of leadership with distinction - crisis management, policy implementation, stakeholder engagement, and human resource management. It would be the height of injustice to deny her confirmation as the substantive CEO merely because some individuals are hungry for office or nursing old grudges. Kenya’s teaching fraternity deserves stability, not endless politicking.

It is also worth reminding the public that the TSC is one of the few independent commissions that have remained functional and professional despite political turbulence. It has resisted capture, maintained institutional memory, and delivered on its constitutional mandate of registering, deploying, and disciplining teachers. This consistency has provided predictability in a sector that is the backbone of our national development.

Every teacher today receives their salary on time. Promotions, transfers, and retirements are processed systematically. TSC has digitised most of its operations, reducing the traditional red tape and corruption loopholes that used to plague government offices. If that is not reform, what is?

Constructive criticism is necessary, but we must draw the line between oversight and sabotage. The attacks on the TSC only serve to demoralise teachers and destabilise an institution that has been instrumental in shaping the future of education. The teaching profession deserves respect, and so does the commission that manages it.