Junior school teachers win big as TSC now moves to give independence
Education
By
Lewis Nyaundi
| Feb 21, 2026
TSC Acting Chief Executive Evelyne Mitei. [File, Standard]
Junior secondary school (JSS) teachers could be on the verge of a big win after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has proposed the establishment of an independent governance and administrative structure for Junior Secondary Schools.
If adopted, the proposal presented in Parliament before the National Assembly Committee on Education means that the Junior Schools will break away from the joint leadership with Primary school, marking a major reprieve for teachers who have been pushing for cessation.
This will see Junior secondary schools, Grades 7 to 9, operate independently and no longer under Primary School heads who have managed this section of school for the last three years.
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The new structure will see Junior Schools appoint substantive Principals and Deputy principals which will see the need for additional salaries, benefits, and administrative costs.
Appearing before the committee, TSC Acting Chief Executive Evelyne Mitei said the move is intended to strengthen leadership, accountability, and service delivery in junior schools, which are currently managed jointly with primary schools.
She told MPs that the Commission is seeking approval and funding to operationalise a new administrative framework that recognises junior schools as distinct learning institutions with their own leadership hierarchy.
The Commission warned that the change will necessitate increased budget allocation for personnel emoluments to sustain the new leadership positions.
“In a bid to strengthen leadership and governance in Junior Schools, there is a proposed change in policy to provide for a new administrative structure,” Mitei stated.
She said the reforms are necessary to support effective curriculum implementation and ensure proper succession management within schools.
TSC indicated that the newly deployed administrators will require extensive training and capacity building to effectively manage the institutions.
Last year, Kenya Junior School Teachers Association(KeJUSTA) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) led calls for autonomy in the management of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).
The two groups argued that granting JSS independence will not only ease administration but also strengthen the Competency-Based Education(CBE) education system.
But that’s not all, the commission has also raised concern over school administrators acting in capacity but are not getting any allowance for their services.
Mitei said schools with acting administrators have been occasioned by shortages of qualified personnel in certain regions, natural attrition, and administrative gaps.
Despite these additional responsibilities, the Commission disclosed that no funds have been allocated to pay acting allowances to such teachers.
“There are instances where teachers are called upon to perform duties of higher administrative posts… however, no funds have been allocated for acting allowance,” Mitei told the committee.
TSC argued that compensating acting administrators is essential for fairness, motivation, and continuity of school management.
She urged the MPs to consider additional funding to facilitate recruitment, training, infrastructure expansion, and compensation for administrative duties.
However, Education Committee chairman Julius Melly, while responding, warned the TSC that should the National Assembly provide funding for acting allowance, the solution is temporary.
“Those administrative positions need to be substantively filled; you should note that any allowances for such positions are temporary and must be substantively filled,” Melly, who is also the Tinderet MP, said.