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Be More Judicious On Teacher Transfers
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 08:53
Cases abound of teachers complaining about what they consider to be irregular transfers that affect learning and teaching programmes adversely since they are effected in the middle of term.
This week, 5,000 Kisii District teachers added their voices to the growing list of those arguing that their transfer by the Teachers' Service Commission is not really achieving the desired results. They say that, although transfer is supposed to benefit poorly-staffed areas, teachers based in urban areas are simply being swapped with those who teach in rural areas.
But the key thing in the whole exercise is the timing. Procedurally, transfers are carried out at the beginning of the year, so that teachers can start on a clean slate and move along with their learners. If a transfer is done in the middle of the year, then it causes disruption. Learners have to adjust to the new teacher's style. He, too, has to take time to get used to the new environment.
This emerging discontent with transfers is also echoed in teacher recruitment and deployment. There are feelings in several quarters that the country has more teachers than it needs. This conviction partly explains why the government is no longer recruiting teachers.
So, while urban and agriculturally productive areas usually boast more than enough teachers, schools in marginal areas are usually understaffed. This disparity translates into uneven participation in schools and ultimately, differing performance in national examinations.
This situation must be remedied since the overall goal is to ensure all eligible children have access to quality education.
We, therefore, suggest that the Teachers Service Commission revisit the whole question of staff recruitment and deployment and come up with effective strategies to ensure all schools have quality teachers. Most importantly, it must carry out the balancing act tactfully, judiciously and without compromising teaching and learning programmes.
