SAM’S SENSE: Corruption within TSC?

This week, I had a conversation with education stakeholders on the state of teachers’ welfare in the country.

I listened to disturbing tales of how the teaching fraternity has been rocked with widespread claims of corruption. For teachers to access what should be basic services at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), a bribe would go a long way to assuring success.

I learnt that for one to be employed, promoted or transferred they may need to give a bribe of between Ksh.50,000 and half a million shillings.

Since last year, there have been rather too many allegations that employment letters were dished out through politicians during the mass recruitment of more than 50,000 teachers. That without connections you cannot be employed. Without connections and money, you cannot be promoted, and without connections and money, you cannot be transferred. That for you to be transferred, you must find another teacher to swap with.

So I took the conversation to the social media space, asking for views from teachers, based on their lived experiences. Allow me then to illustrate based on the feedback which I must from the onset indicate is not scientific.

One user said, “Leave alone promotions. You cannot get employed if you don’t know somebody who knows somebody!”

The user also claimed to know a teacher who is serving his 20th year in Grade C2 while another is 7 years into the teaching profession but already in Grade C4.

Another user stated, “Replacements have been going to the political class since this regime took office, unlike previously when they used to be advertised.”

A teacher said, “Last December I went for an interview to be promoted. I had all they required, and answered all the questions correctly but to my disappointment, I never got promoted! Nobody has told me where I fell short of their expectations.”

Another remembered that when she went for a promotion interview, she was told, "Go add years to your age,” and she said, “Don't I hate this profession yet I'm stuck in it?”

As I read through the feedback, a user said, “Let’s not pretend, this happens everywhere, in all sectors.” Well, I have had to paraphrase that for palatability.

The EACC survey of 2023 found that there was a perception that “each time a service seeker sought for the TSC number, a bribe was paid.” The report found that service seekers were more likely to get a service from the TSC if they paid a bride, more than if they didn’t.

Now, TSC employs over 400,000 teachers. These are not just numbers. These are real people with real-life stories. These are people with families, with career goals. More importantly, these are people who have the all-important responsibility to shepherd the future of society – that is borne by the young minds they teach.

If they are to stay motivated to do their job, I imagine that their employer needs to listen to their concerns. I imagine that their career progression ought to be more clearly defined. Even though it is not possible to promote everyone to the next level for whatever reason, I imagine that this should be communicated properly and clearly as every teacher has legitimate expectations of a better future.

So I submit that it would make sense for the TSC to investigate these allegations. To check its career progression infrastructure, check cases of career stagnation. Check when the recruitment process shifted from being school-based to including the local politician. And since its most important responsibility is managing the Human Resources wing of the education sector, how about beginning to know each teacher as a real person?

Doing so would enable TSC officials at both the national and local levels to understand their clients, their needs, their desires and how best to support them to serve the future of the nation which is children.