Speaking to Capital FM News on Monday morning, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer Anne Gitau pointed out that the process will enable teachers get value for their hard work/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 7 – The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on Monday kicked off the job evaluation exercise for all teachers across the country.
Speaking to Capital FM News on Monday morning, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer Anne Gitau pointed out that the process will enable teachers get value for their hard work.
She stated that the teachers will also be able to evaluate themselves as they look for ways of improving their areas of expertise.
“We are appealing to all the teachers to come out in large numbers to give an objective view of their jobs. For the first time in this country, the job of the teacher is being valued; is being analysed and brought out so that at the end of the day, when a teacher is given a job, they are able to tell that this is the requirement of the job with regard to the job description,” she said.
She also downplayed sentiments expressed by teachers’ unions that the exercise was only the preserve of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and stressed the need for unity in all sectors.
“The mandate of SRC under Article 230 is to advise on the remuneration of all public officers and teachers fall under public officers. One thing that the commission cannot do is to say that they can do this alone,” she said.
She encouraged teachers to come out in large numbers and participate in the job evaluation exercise.
“It is important that we do this together. That representation is very critical but indeed, it is the role of the commission to ensure that we will pay for work of equal value,” she said.
SRC Chairperson Sarah Serem was in Mombasa leading the discussion and carrying out job analysis while vice chairman Daniel Ogutu was heading the team at Lions School in Kisumu.
Serem indicated that the aim of the exercise will be to develop a strategy, framework and handbook to undertake the job evaluation exercise.
She further explained that it will further pave the way for staff in the teaching service to be trained and ensure that job descriptions for teachers are developed.
The commission plans to release results of public service job evaluation exercise by June this year.
Ogutu indicated that they have finished carrying out job evaluation in a number of public service sectors.
He stated that the exercise was delayed as a result of the case in the industrial court by the teaching service.
“We realise that we had some Industrial issue with the teaching service. We had to allow that to go through the natural process of the courts and once it was settled, we have come back to push on. It is our determination that by June, we should be able to complete this process,” he said.
He explained that the commission will now expedite the exercise to cover all teaching staff that includes universities and the security sector.
“There is confusion between the job evaluation and performance contracting and that one I have to confirm that they are two different things targeting the same things but we expect the outcomes in a job evaluation,” he said.
Teachers’ unions have termed the exercise as a ploy to undermine the pay negations between teachers and the Teachers Service Commission.
About The Author
