The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of Kenya has announced that teachers assigned to Special Units within regular schools will no longer be required to handle extra lessons in regular classes. This directive was communicated in a circular (number 11/2024) dated August 14, 2024, by Dr. Nancy Macharia, the Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TSC.
The Directive and Its Implications
The decision, as outlined by Dr. Macharia, is rooted in the need to allow teachers dedicated to Special Units to focus exclusively on their primary duties, which involve addressing the unique and varied needs of learners with disabilities. Dr. Macharia emphasized that the previous practice of assigning these teachers additional responsibilities in regular classes undermined the specialized support required by learners in Special Units. This, in turn, diminished the overall objective of providing quality education tailored to the specific needs of these learners.
“It has come to the Commission’s attention that teachers assigned to those Special Units are being allocated additional teaching responsibilities in regular classes. This practice undermines the specialized support required by learners in Special Units and diminishes the overall objective of providing quality education to learners with Special and Unique needs,” Dr. Macharia stated in the circular.
The TSC’s directive mandates that teachers handling Special Units should not be burdened with extra lessons in regular classes. By focusing solely on their core responsibilities, these teachers can provide more effective support to learners with special needs. Dr. Macharia instructed TSC Field Officers to ensure strict compliance with this new directive.
Addressing a Long-standing Concern
The issue of teachers in Special Units being overburdened with regular class duties has been a matter of concern for some time. Teachers working with special needs learners require additional time and resources to effectively meet the needs of their students. The initial arrangement, which saw these teachers also handling regular classes, often led to burnout and reduced the effectiveness of their specialized teaching efforts.
Dr. Macharia noted that the TSC has always been committed to the focused recruitment and deployment of teachers trained in Special Needs Education (SNE). These teachers possess the skills necessary to handle a wide range of disabilities, including mental handicaps, autism, physical handicaps, cerebral palsy, hearing and visual impairments, and deaf-blindness, among others. By exempting these teachers from extra regular class duties, the TSC is reinforcing its commitment to providing high-quality education to all learners, particularly those with special needs.
A Step Forward for Special Needs Education in Kenya
This directive follows a landmark agreement between the TSC and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET), reached during a retreat in Naivasha on April 8, 2024. As part of the agreement, 6,000 SNE teachers who had initially applied to be redeployed from regular schools to SNE institutions were successfully transferred. The exemption from extra classes, which had been a key demand of KUSNET, has now been formalized through the circular issued by Dr. Macharia.
Moreover, the TSC has established a dedicated SNE section at its headquarters to specifically address issues related to Special Needs Education teachers. This new section is expected to streamline the management of SNE teachers and ensure that their unique needs and challenges are adequately addressed.
Conclusion
The TSC’s decision to exempt Special Units teachers from extra lessons in regular classes is a positive development for Special Needs Education in Kenya. By allowing these teachers to focus on their specialized roles, the TSC is taking a significant step towards enhancing the quality of education for learners with disabilities. This move is expected to have a profound impact on the education sector, particularly in ensuring that learners with special needs receive the attention and support they require to thrive academically and socially. As the TSC continues to implement this directive, it is hoped that the educational outcomes for special needs learners in Kenya will improve significantly.
