The Teachers Service Commission’s new TSC Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) aim to reshape entry grades and promotion routes for primary and secondary teachers. The draft proposes a simpler grade structure and promises changes in pay progression from July 2027, but key questions remain for teachers who upgraded from P1 to the Upgrading Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (UDPTE).
Key Takeaways
- The TSC Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) are approved by the SRC and slated to take effect in July 2027.
- Primary diploma holders would enter at Teacher 8 under the proposed structure, mapping from current C1.
- UDPTE (upgraded P1) teachers face uncertainty over whether they will be placed at the diploma entry point or kept at a lower certificate-level grade.
- Teachers should keep TPAD records and evidence of learner outcomes to support competitive promotions.
Background: DPTE, UDPTE and the need for new rules
In 2020 the Ministry introduced the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) to align teacher training with the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). The diploma replaced the old PTE (P1) certificate. Serving P1 teachers were told to upgrade via the UDPTE route so all registered teachers share the same competencies.
Many P1 teachers paid fees of up to Ksh 65,000–90,000 plus assessment costs to upgrade. Despite the cost and time, upgrades have not always translated into equal treatment in hiring and early promotion.
TSC Career Progression Guidelines (CPG): what the proposal shows
The proposed CPG reduces levels across the service and simplifies primary school grading. Key features in the stakeholder version presented in June 2026 include:
- Service levels fall from 56 to 43 overall; regular primary school levels fall from eight to six.
- Primary diploma holders (including DPTE and similar diplomas) would enter at Teacher 8.
- Teacher 7 becomes a common cadre grade (Senior Teacher), merging current C2/C3 roles.
- Competition for promotions would begin from Teacher 6 (Deputy Principal), while lower common-cadre moves would be non-competitive.
- The SRC has cleared the job evaluation step and Ksh 4 billion is allocated to link the new structure to pay scales aligned with the 2025–2029 CBA.
Why UDPTE teachers feel short-changed
Although the UDPTE and DPTE cover the same competencies, current practice has treated them differently:
- A fresh DPTE graduate is placed at job group C1.
- A P1 teacher who upgraded via UDPTE is placed at B5 and only moves to C1 after three years.
- Recruitment shortlisting has offered only a small marks advantage (reduced from 10 to 5 marks), which many view as inadequate given the financial and time cost of upgrading.
This creates a pay and promotion lag that affects lifetime earnings and the timing of subsequent promotions.
Questions the new CPG must answer
Implementation will turn on specifics. The main outstanding questions include:
- Will a UDPTE graduate be placed at Teacher 8 (diploma entry) on hiring, or will they retain a lower certificate-level entry?
- How will past service at B5 be recognised when placing existing teachers into the new structure?
- How will merit-based, competitive grades account for teachers in under-resourced schools who may struggle to produce measurable learner outcomes?
Practical advice for teachers now
While the CPG is finalised, teachers can prepare to strengthen their cases for fair placement and promotion:
- Keep TPAD documentation up to date and organised.
- Collect clear evidence of learner outcomes and co-curricular achievements.
- Watch TSC adverts and circulars for placement and transition rules.
- Review CBC materials and classroom resources to demonstrate competence; for curriculum support see CBC curriculum designs and CBC lesson plans.
- If you upgraded for a diploma, consider preparing supporting documents and past papers related to diploma training available at Diploma in Education past papers.
A matter of fairness and next steps
The reform aimed to raise teacher standards. That goal will be judged by how it treats teachers who were required to upgrade. If the final TSC Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) treats DPTE and UDPTE as equivalent for placement and restores a guaranteed first step for primary diploma teachers, it will address a major grievance.
Otherwise, the diploma risks remaining mainly a credential that improves classroom practice but not career standing. Teachers, unions and headteachers should read the final CPG closely when published and press for clear, grade-by-grade placement rules that reflect the investments made by serving teachers.
