TSC CEO: We have introduced allowances for teachers in special schools.
In an effort to draw and keep teachers in special education, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has instituted allowances for them.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia disclosed the information in front of the Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee.
The Committee was also told that there was a 5,362 teacher shortage in the nation’s Special Needs Schools.
In her appearance before the Committee on Tuesday, Ms. Nancy Macharia informed the committee led by Hon. Adan Haji that teachers who are physically disabled or blind, deaf, or mute now have access to Readers Facilitation or Aid allowance.
According to Ms. Macharia, “special school allowances are also another incentive introduced to teachers with special education skills.”
“As one way of recognizing the additional challenges facing the teachers, these incentives are in addition to standard allowances such as hardship and commuter among others,” the said.
Regarding the teacher shortage, the CEO clarified that 1,763 instructors were employed and assigned to classrooms by TSC in May.
She also mentioned that an additional 3,600 teachers will be assigned to the schools in September of this year and in January and June of next year.
She said, “To address the shortage, the Commission has developed a phased deployment of teachers to Special needs schools due to budgetary constraints.”
She continued by saying that the Commission has also created and put into effect a special staffing standard for special education schools.
According to Ms. Macharia, each teacher’s class size is determined by the kind and degree of the students’ disabilities.
For instance, a class with four students should be used for mentally challenged students, whereas a class with fifteen students should be used for physically challenged kids, the speaker continued.
She went on to say that the action was taken to make sure teachers give students with special needs enough attention.
“It is better to have fewer special needs students per teacher in order to provide high-quality services,” stated Ms. Macharia.
Although she acknowledged that more work needed to be done, the session was presided over by Hon. Liza Chelule, the deputy chairperson of the Committee, who congratulated the Commission for its efforts to improve the welfare of teachers in special needs schools.
“The Committee found that the schools and teachers operated in appalling conditions after visiting special needs schools in portions of Coast, Nyanza, Western, and Rift Valley,” the MP for Nakuru County stated.
According to Shinyalu MP Hon. Fred Ikana, the hardships experienced by special school instructors deterred their peers from applying for positions in the establishments, which resulted in a scarcity.
TSC CEO: We have introduced allowances for teachers in special schools.
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