Nairobi — The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has introduced allowances for teachers in special schools to attract and retain them in the institutions.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia made the revelation before the Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee.
She also informed the Committee that the Special Needs Schools in the country were facing a shortage of 5,362 teachers.
Appearing before the Committee on Tuesday, Macharia told the Adan Haji-led team that TSC will pay Readers Facilitation or Aid allowance to visually-impared teachers, those with hearing imparment, mute and those having physical disabilities.
"Special school allowances is also another incentive introduced to teachers with special education skills," said Macharia.
She added: "These incentives are in addition to standard allowances such as hardship and commuter among others as one way of recognising the additional challenges facing the teachers".
Teacher-student ratio
On the teachers' shortage, the CEO explained that TSC hired and deployed 1,763 teachers to schools in the month of May.
She added that in September this year, January and June next year, TSC will post another 3,600 teachers to the schools.
"Due to budget constraints the Commission has developed a phased deployment of teachers to Special needs schools to address the shortage," she noted.
She added that the Commission had also developed and implemented a unique staffing norm for special needs education schools.
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Macharia said TSC will consider class size determined by the type and severity of disabilities of the learners for each teacher.
"For example, the class size for mentally handicapped learners is set at four students while the class size for physically handicapped learners is 15 students," she added.
The TSC boss said the regulations seek to ensure teachers give adequate attention to special needs learners.
"The less the number of special needs learners per teacher the better for provision of quality services," Macharia said.
Committee's Vice-Chairperson Liza Chelule commended TSC efforts to better the welfare of teachers in special needs schools.
She however called for sustained efforts to enhance the welfare of special needs teachers.
"The Committee visited special needs schools in parts of Coast, Nyanza, Western and Rift Valley and established that the schools and teachers operated in deplorable conditions, said the Nakuru County MP.
Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana said the suffering by teachers in special schools discouraged their colleagues from seeking jobs in the institutions leading to the shortage.
About The Author
Laban Wanambisi, is a journalist, who specializes in reporting Parliamentary and Political Affairs. He likes telling stories in a way that makes a difference in people's lives and the world.
