TSC Moves to Demote Heads Over Low Grades
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Principal who tackled exam Focus on 2014 top KCPE Schools cheating before - Pages Matiang’i - Page 3 EDUCATION The Bestselling Newspaper on Education VOL 182 JANUARY 11 - 23, 2017 KSH 70 UASU: Suspend www.educationnews.co.ke News new varsity funding system New grading structure for teachers - Page 6 - Page 17 Top 10 schools Dickson Ole Keis, Regional Director, Coast recalled to Jogoo House. per County in Ministry shuffles STORY PAGE 4 Education 2016 KCSE Directors By John Machio ducation Cabinet Secretary has E undertaken a massive shake-up in the ministry to enhance the management of educational matters at the grass-root levels, Education News has reliably learnt. The CS has in the radical reorganization appointed new County Directors, transferred some and redeployed others. The new appointments, transfers and redeployments which have been pending since August 2016 following widespread students’ unrest in Public schools were effected as part of the ongoing reforms in the Education sector by Dr Fred Matiang’i, who wants to raise the profile of the sector. The shake-up which has Kagumo Teachers Training College Principal, Ronald Githua (left) consulting with Education CS, Dr. Fred commenced at Sub-County Matiang’i at Kagumo Teachers College in Nyeri County during the 32nd graduation ceremony recently. and County levels will pave Photo/Joseph Mukubwa See story on page 15 way for sweeping changes in eight regions, and a major reshuffle at Jogoo House, including all Semi- TSC moves to demote Heads over low grades Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) By John Machio on each school from all strengths or weaknesses specializing in education. The affected officers County Education Directors. within these schools. upon reporting to their chool Heads whose This process is already The Acting Director new stations will be institutions performed ongoing after TSC ordered all – Teacher Management, expected to implement all poorly in the 2016 KCPE County Education Directors Dinah Mwaita in an Internal national education policies, S and KCSE examinations will to analyze the 2016 KCPE and Memo (TSC/DTM/KCSE/76/ programmes and initiatives know their fate by January KCSE examination results VOL.1) has directed County and ensure quality 30th this year. for each school in their area Directors to submit analyzed assurance, and maintenance of standards of education in This is after the Teachers so that their performances reports of KCSE/KCPE their areas of jurisdiction. Service Commission (TSC) can be appraised. This is for examinations results Dinah Mwaita, Acting Turn to page 7 receives and analyzes reports the purposes of identifying Turn to page 2 Director, Teacher Management 2 EDUCATION NEWS JANUARY 11 - 23, 2017 Non-performing school Heads face demotion From page 1 analyzed results for 2016 KCPE in your county. The analysis should cover Mean score by January 15, 2017 to facilitate the for each school; Mean score for each Sub- Commission in appraising the performance of county and overall County Mean; the top 50 each school. performing schools and lowest 50 performing These reports will be used by TSC to schools in the County; strategies the County is determine Headteachers who should be putting in place to address poor performance transferred, re-deployed, promoted, demoted, and strategies Education Directors are putting interdicted, suspended or dismissed from the in place to sustain/improve further the good service altogether. performance,” said the Memo. This move comes even as various Mwaita ordered County Directors to stakeholders in the Education sector are submit analyzed KCPE results by January 15, questioning the credibility of the 2016 KCSE 2017. results and asking the Government to order “You are also required to submit for their nullification. Several top schools, analyzed KCSE results within two weeks which have been perennial achievers, were upon release of examinations,” she said. blown off the top charts with many unable to KCSE examination results were released on produce a single A student. December 29th, 2016 According to the 2016 KSCE Examination The Commission has already released results, candidates who scored A were 141, performance data that TSC will use in 4,645 candidates hadA- ,10,975 candidates processing promotions in the Teaching scored B+, B grade was recorded by 17,216 Service in 2017. candidates, 23,745 had B- and C+ was scored The confidential data will be used to by 32,207 candidates. Those who will not St Teresa's Bikeke Girls, teachers and parents celebrating good determine upgrading of teachers, identify secure places at universities are in the category KCSE results. The Trans Nzoia based school registered a mean non-performers, and teachers who should be of 44,972 candidates who scored C plain, score of 7.2. TSC is set to punish school heads whose schools demoted, those to be interdicted and those 80,951 candidates who scored D+, 112,135 to be dismissed entirely from the Teaching candidates who scored D, 149,929 had a posted dismal results. Photo/Osborne Ben Service. grade of D- and 33,399 candidates scored In an earlier circular dated September 7, E in last year’s secondary school national performance of candidates. to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the 2016, Mr. Gabriel Mathenge acting on behalf examinations. “There was no standardization and results of each school and submit a report of TSC Secretary/Chief Executive (Nancy It is this poor performance that has moderation done at all. It is also evident that to TSC Headquarters. This is to enable the Macharia) revealed that the Commission prompted Kenya National Union of Teachers the examinations were hurriedly marked Commission institute appropriate measures had compiled performance data for Head of (KNUT) to demand for a forensic audit and and released,” said a document prepared by on non-performing institutions. institutions, a report that will be used this year remarking on the exams as well as cancellation KNUT titled “The Glaring Shortcomings” Dr Matiang’i who was accompanied by for teacher assessment and promotions. of already released results. Parents have also gone to court to the Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang, In the circular addressed to County KNUT mentions that candidates were challenge the results arguing that grading of KNEC Chairman, Prof George Magoha and Directors, TSC conducted a monitoring ‘deliberately down marked’ and alleges that the exam results was poorly done. They are the KNEC Acting Secretary/Chief Executive, exercise on the implementation of Performance marking was done with a pre-determined asking the Ministry of Education to conduct a Mercy Karogo asked the Council to do a Contracting for Head teachers and Teacher outcome. fresh audit of these results to determine their comprehensive analysis of the examination Performance Appraisal and Development The Union, in a letter addressed to the credibility. results and hand over the report to TSC by for ordinary teachers in all the Counties from Clerks of the National Assembly, The Senate, It remains to be seen if Dr Matiangi and January 30th, 2017. September 12th to 23rd, 2016. Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee TSC will use the 2016 KCSE results as a basis “During the Appointment Board meeting Mr. Mathenge advised County Directors on Education, Chairman of the Board of to deal with poor performing schools. Both on Transfer/Deployment of Head teachers to ensure that all Heads of institution have filed the Kenya National Examinations Council the Union and Head teachers have already held on December 14, 2016, it was decided a copy of the signed Performance Contracting (KNEC), the Cabinet Secretary for Education warned the CS not to intimidate them using that results be analyzed after the release of document and ensure that monthly and termly and The Teachers Service Commission CEO ‘contested’ exam outcomes. national examinations so as to appraise the Monitoring Exercise reports on Performance among others, states that the Government While releasing the 2016 KCSE performance of schools,” said the TSC Memo Contracting are maintained and updated as doctored the results which cannot therefore examination results, Dr. Matiang’i directed addressed to County Directors. per the guidelines. be relied upon as a fair representation of Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) “In this regard, you are required to submit Drama as Kakamega school head flees from irate parents By Leonard Angatia headed by Mr. Laban Arunga enquired into the matter, he was told that all the cash had rama ensued at Eshibembe Primary been spent and yet the building was still at the School in Kakamega County when the foundation stage. Dschool head teacher took to his heels Arunga reported this matter to the Area to escape from angry parents who wanted him Education Office (AEO) for further assistance. out of the institution over alleged misconduct. But the AEO, Ms Ritah Katamu said the The teacher, who was only one year old matter was beyond her mandate and instead in the Lurambi Sub-County school that has referred the issue to the Sub-County Director a population of 390 pupils, was told by the for Education. parents not to report back to the school for new The Sub County Director then convened term which begun on January 4, 2017. Parents a meeting comprising members of the accused the Headteacher of failing to account BoM, Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) for Sh 650,000 meant for construction of a Chairperson, representative of parents, the classroom at the school. head teacher and the deputy for arbitration, Parents and teachers had during an earlier prevailing upon them to settle the dispute the school opened for first term this year, Ms Most pupils were learning under trees while Annual General Meeting demanded that the amicably. Wandago says she was not aware of what had seated on stones and those lucky to be in class head teacher accounts for every shilling of However, the head teacher could not transpired.