P1 Teachers Deployed to JSS Raise Concerns Over TSC Promotion Exercise

P1 Teachers Deployed to JSS Raise Concerns Over TSC Promotion Exercise

Teachers who were initially employed as P1 teachers and later deployed to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) are raising concerns over what they describe as unfair treatment in the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) promotion exercise.

The concerns come as TSC prepares to conduct a major promotion exercise involving 34,016 vacancies across different teaching and administrative grades. The vacancies include positions ranging from Senior Teacher II to Chief Principal.

The affected teachers argue that despite having university degrees, years of teaching experience and having been deployed to teach in JSS, they have encountered difficulties when attempting to apply for promotion through the TSC online portal.

According to the concerns raised, some teachers deployed from the primary school cadre have found that the online system does not properly recognize their current JSS stations or service history.

This has reportedly made it difficult for some of them to apply for promotional positions for which they believe they meet the requirements.

The issue has created frustration among teachers who feel that their years of service and professional qualifications are not being adequately recognized.

The current concerns are also linked to changes that TSC introduced in teacher career progression.

Before the introduction of the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG), teachers who obtained higher academic qualifications could, under the previous system, have their qualifications considered for career progression.

However, the system changed significantly around 2014. Promotion became increasingly dependent on factors such as available vacancies, competitive interviews, time spent in a particular grade and professional development requirements.

As a result, some P1 teachers who had pursued university degrees while continuing to teach remained in the primary school job cadre despite acquiring higher qualifications.

Deployment to Junior Secondary Schools

The introduction of JSS under the Competency-Based Curriculum created an opportunity for some degree-holding P1 teachers to move into Junior Secondary Schools.

TSC deployed qualified teachers to JSS to help address staffing requirements in the new education structure. Some of the teachers were placed in the Secondary Teacher II grade, C2.

However, the affected teachers argue that their previous years of service in primary schools have not always translated into equivalent career progression opportunities within the JSS structure.

Some say they are now competing for promotion with teachers who entered the profession more recently, while their lengthy experience in the primary school sector is not fully reflected in the promotion process.

Senate Raises Questions

The concerns have also attracted attention in Parliament.

Nominated Senator Essy Okenyuri sought intervention from the Senate Standing Committee on Education over the challenges facing JSS teachers seeking promotion.

Among the issues raised was the need for TSC to explain why some qualified JSS teachers were unable to participate effectively in the promotion exercise.

The intervention also sought clarification on whether the exclusion is consistent with TSC’s Career Progression Guidelines and human resource policies. Questions were further raised about the number of affected teachers and whether the Commission plans to adjust its online system to accommodate them.

Age and Career Stagnation

For many of the affected teachers, the issue is particularly urgent because a significant number have already spent many years in the teaching profession.

Some are now above 40 years of age and fear that continued delays in promotion could leave them approaching retirement without having progressed to higher job grades.

Teachers argue that failing to recognize their previous experience could affect not only their current salaries but also their eventual retirement benefits.

They are therefore calling for a promotion system that takes into account their academic qualifications, accumulated teaching experience and current responsibilities in JSS.

The affected teachers are calling for several measures to address their concerns.

First, they want TSC to review its online promotion system so that JSS-deployed teachers are correctly captured according to their current stations and qualifications.

They also want their previous teaching experience in primary schools to be recognized when determining eligibility for promotion.

Another proposal is the creation of a specific promotion pathway for long-serving P1 teachers who upgraded their qualifications and were subsequently deployed to JSS.

The teachers also want TSC to engage teacher unions and other stakeholders to establish clear guidelines for career progression during the transition from primary schools to JSS.

The concerns raised by P1 teachers deployed to JSS come at a critical time as TSC proceeds with the 2026 promotion exercise.

With thousands of teachers competing for limited promotional positions, the affected educators want the Commission to address any gaps in the system before the process is completed.

For the teachers, the issue is not simply about promotion. They want their years of service, academic advancement and contribution to the implementation of CBC to be recognized.

How TSC responds to the concerns could therefore have a significant impact on the morale and career progression of teachers serving in Junior Secondary Schools.