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The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is seeking to promote 1,000 diploma tutors in line with Career Progression Guidelines (CPG).

TSC Secretary Nancy Macharia said in a public notice yesterday that suitable candidates seeking promotions should submit online applications by February 9.

“Interested candidates, who meet the required qualifications should make their applications online through the TSC website. Please note that manual applications will not be considered,” said Dr Macharia.

The commission has advertised 492 positions for Secondary Teacher I on scale 8,363 posts for Senior Master IV on TSC Scale 9 and another 72 positions for Deputy Principal III on scale 11.

Others promotions vacancies available are 15 positions for Senior Principal  on TSC scale 14 as well as 30 and 28 posts for Deputy Principal II and Senior Lecturer IV, respectively.

Tutors to benefit in the promotions for a second time within a month are mainly from Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), as the back and forth between the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and TSC persists.

The TSC has insisted that promotions will be based on CPG, which has been a subject of contention between the commission and Knut, which has been advocating for schemes of service.

The commission has  maintained a hardline stance that the court ruling on CPG meant Knut members, opposed to this criteria, are not eligible to benefit from the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

This is yet another blow for Knut, which has also been at loggerheads with TSC, with union Secretary General Wilson Sossion saying the employer is out to kill the largest teachers’ body.

The number of Knut members had been on a steady decline, with Sossion urging TSC to drop its ego wars and pay tutors all pending dues.

Sossion has time and again accused TSC of pushing the union to call a strike, saying “it is the only language the commission understands”.

He said TSC has been punishing the union, denied them dues and even removed Knut members from the official register in an attempt to cripple its operations.

“We are in good books with government and so the employer cannot build bad blood – brew bad blood – between us and the government.

TSC is squarely on the wrong and courts have proved so… they have gone to the Court of Appeal and flopped,” Sossion said recently.

And as qualified teachers make their online applications for advertised positions, Macharia urged candidates to include valid documents such as certificates of registration as a teacher, good conduct and highest academic certificates.

They are also to attach clearance certificates from Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) tax compliance certificate.

“Applicants are advised to give accurate information while making their applications. Those who give false information regarding their credentials and qualifications will be automatically disqualified,” Macharia warned.

The 1,000 vacancies come just about a month after the commission announced over 15,400 senior tutors slots in line with (CPG) for teachers.

Last month, TSC called for promotions of 1,341 teachers to the position of Deputy Principal I, 1,096 positions for Deputy Principal II, 39 for Senior lecturer I, 1,590 posts for Deputy Principal III and 209 Curriculum Support Officer.

The commission also called for promotions of 2,111 to the position of head teacher, 6,680 for Senior Master IV, 1,765 for Deputy head teacher II, 45 and 350 posts for Senior Lecturer IV and Senior Master IV, respectively.

CPG outlines career path for school administrators and that of classroom teachers.

This is designed to provide clear reporting structures in institutions and eliminate overlap in the grading structure.