The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has introduced new allowances for teachers in special schools in an effort to attract and retain them in these institutions.
TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia made the announcement before the Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee.
The Committee was also informed that special needs schools across the country are currently facing a shortage of 5,362 teachers.
Appearing before the Committee on Tuesday, Ms. Macharia explained to the team led by Hon. Adan Haji that a Readers Facilitation or Aid allowance has been introduced for teachers who are blind, deaf, mute, or have physical disabilities.
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“Special school allowances are another incentive introduced for teachers with special education skills,” said Ms. Macharia.
“These incentives are in addition to standard allowances such as hardship and commuter allowances, recognizing the additional challenges faced by these teachers.”
Regarding the teacher shortage, the CEO explained that the TSC hired and deployed 1,763 teachers to schools in May. She added that another 3,600 teachers would be posted in September this year, January, and June next year.
“Due to budget constraints, the Commission has developed a phased deployment of teachers to special needs schools to address the shortage,” she noted.
The Commission has also implemented a unique staffing norm for special needs education schools, considering the type and severity of disabilities of the learners for each teacher.
“For instance, the class size for mentally handicapped learners is set at four students, while for physically handicapped learners, it is 15 students,” Ms. Macharia added. This move aims to ensure that teachers can provide adequate attention to special needs learners. “The fewer the number of special needs learners per teacher, the better the provision of quality services,” she emphasized.
The Committee’s vice chairperson, Hon. Liza Chelule, who chaired the session, commended the Commission for its efforts to improve the welfare of teachers in special needs schools but noted that more work was needed.
“The Committee visited special needs schools in parts of Coast, Nyanza, Western, and Rift Valley and found that the schools and teachers operated in deplorable conditions,” said the Nakuru County MP. Shinyalu MP Hon. Fred Ikana added that the challenging conditions discourage teachers from seeking jobs in these institutions, leading to the shortage.
