No Escape From the Classroom as TSC Orders Principals Back to Teaching
Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission has made one thing clear, school administrators are not exempt from the classroom. Furthermore, the TSC has now outlined exactly how many lessons principals, deputy principals, and senior masters must teach every week. Additionally, these lessons come on top of their full administrative responsibilities.
Why TSC Is Setting Lesson Minimums
The move is part of broader staffing regulations for senior schools. Therefore, the TSC is standardising workload expectations across all institutions.
Moreover, the regulations aim to ensure that experienced educators remain actively involved in teaching. Consequently, schools cannot use administrative titles to pull teachers out of classrooms entirely.
Lesson Requirements for Smaller Schools
In schools with one to six classes, the workload is heaviest. Specifically, principals must teach 15 lessons per week. Additionally, deputy principals carry 24 lessons, while senior masters handle the highest load at 27 lessons weekly.
Therefore, even the most senior administrators in small schools spend significant time in front of students.
Lesson Requirements for Mid-Sized Schools
For institutions with seven to twelve classes, the numbers reduce slightly. Principals must teach 12 lessons per week.
Meanwhile, deputy principals handle 18 lessons, and senior masters are required to take on 24 lessons weekly. Nevertheless, the combined pressure of teaching and administration remains substantial.
The Bigger Picture for Kenyan Education
These regulations signal a deliberate policy direction from TSC. Simply put, leadership in Kenyan schools must remain rooted in the classroom. However, critics may argue that the dual burden could affect both teaching quality and administrative efficiency.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of this policy will depend heavily on whether schools have sufficient support staff.
Reactions from teachers and school heads are beginning to surface. Consequently, the education community is closely watching how TSC enforces these requirements.
Moreover, unions may weigh in as the regulations take effect in senior schools across the country.
