Secondary school principals want the government to review school fees and capitation every three years to reflect current economic trends.

The head teachers said the government should have a policy which will ensure the distribution of capitation funds and fees per student payment reflects the country’s state of economy.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chairman Willie Kuria read the resolution on Friday during the closing of the secondary head teachers conference in Mombasa which attracted more than 7,000 principals.

The head teachers also resolved to be flexible, creative and innovative that during the implementation of CBE curriculum. Grade 10 students will join Senior School next year.

“The principals have agreed to embrace flexibility, creativity and innovation while implementing senior school pathways,” said Kuria.

The principals also asked the government to consider introducing another job grade for the head teachers as the present last grade for them does commensurate with the work load and qualification some have.

“Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should expand job group from D5 to D7 and expedite promotion for acting principals who have served for more than six months,” said Kuria.

The principals asked the TSC to consider promoting teachers who have served in hardship areas to be promoted after serving for more than six months instead of three years after it emerged in the meeting that 1,864 principals’ promotions were reversed 

KESSHA National Secretary Abdi Noor Haji complained his 1,864 members in ASAL, who were promoted as principals’ senior principals and chief principals had their promotions reversed because they had not served for three years in the positions they had been awarded.

He said TSC interviewed principals in question and promoted them but to their surprise their promotion was revoked. Haji lamented that despite acute shortage of teachers in ASAL counties, getting teachers who qualifies for such positions was very hard. He regretted that the action by TSC against principals who had been demoted after climbing the ladders of their grade was demoralizing.

Haji complained that many teachers use hardship counties to get teaching jobs and after being confirmed or promoted they always ask for transfer.

Haji said the shortage of teachers in arid areas was worrying because there very few science teachers and subjects like computer were not being taught in schools in ASAL.

“We do not have computer science, home science, woodwork and others which makes us wonder how the children in these places will be taught as we implement CBE,” said Haji.

He said this has affected counties in arid areas such as Mandera, Wajir Isiolo Machakos and others in the country which was experiencing acute shortage of teachers.

Among the victims, Rashid Gabo who is the principal of Waso Girls High School in Wajir county, confirmed that he was among the 1,864 principals whose promotion was reversed despite having passed the interview.

“I did the interview and passed, and then promoted but the promotion was reversed because I had not been in my same grade for three years,” said Gabo.

Gabo explained that it was TSC which had encouraged the teachers like himself in those counties to apply and that is what he did.

“When I checked TSC portal I saw I had been promoted but to my surprise the promotion was reversed  without considering how we have volunteered.Most teachers  cannot do what we are doing for this country because the hardship we undergo  is sometimes hell,” said   

He said TSC should promote teachers from arid areas without giving to many conditions because the few people who have volunteered   to serve the nation in such places should be given priorities.