The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has introduced a new approach to TSC promotions that recognises teachers for sustained excellence in co-curricular activities. Under the plan, teachers who consistently lead or support sports, music, drama and science initiatives may receive automatic promotion to the next job group or be awarded promotional scores that improve their chances at interviews.
Key Takeaways
- TSC promotions will now consider verified co-curricular achievements recorded in a central database.
- County Directors must develop and maintain an accurate, verifiable register of teachers who excel in sports, music, drama and science fairs.
- Roles captured include coaches, referees, directors, adjudicators, mentors and technical officials across Sub-County to East African competition levels.
- The change reverses years of reduced weight for co-curricular certificates after the move from Schemes of Service to Career Progression Guidelines.
How the new TSC promotions plan works
The Commission has instructed County Directors to create and update a comprehensive teacher database that lists educators who excel in mainstream co-curricular activities. The database will be used for planning, recognition and other teacher-management interventions. According to the memo from the Director of Staffing, Antonina Lentoijoni (dated 9th February), compliance is mandatory and records must be verifiable on request.
What the database must include
Records must clearly show each teacher’s identification and role in co-curricular activities. The Commission requires:
- TSC number and full name
- Institution and level (Primary, Junior, Senior, SNE, TTC)
- County and discipline (sports, music, drama, KSEF, etc.)
- Specific role and position (coach, referee, director, adjudicator, mentor, judge, technical official)
- Level of participation: Sub-County, County, Regional, National, East African
Co-curricular disciplines and roles to be recorded
The Commission listed the following disciplines and roles to be captured by County Directors:
- Sports (Primary, Junior, Senior, SNE)
- Coaches — Position 1, 2 and 3 teams and Position 1 composite activities
- Referees / Umpires
- Technical Officials
- Sports — Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs)
- Coaches — Position 1, 2 and 3 teams and Position 1 composite activities
- Referees / Umpires
- Technical Teams / Officials
- Drama and Film (Primary, Junior, Senior, SNE, TTCs)
- Directors
- Producers
- Adjudicators
- Music — Kenya National Music Festivals (all levels)
- Directors
- Adjudicators
- Kenya Science and Engineering Fair (KSEF)
- Advisors / Mentors
- Project Directors
- Technical Teams / Officials
- Judges
Background: why this change matters
Historically, the Commission recognised teachers with exemplary performance in outdoor and creative activities through automatic promotions under the Schemes of Service. After adopting the Career Progression Guidelines, co-curricular certificates were given minimal weight — sometimes only two marks — and sports certificates were at one point removed entirely from promotion scoresheets.
That shift led to protests from games, music and drama teachers and interventions from bodies such as the Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association (KPSSA) and the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSA). The new database and revised recognition will restore the value of co-curricular achievements in the promotion process.
What teachers should do now
- Ensure your county office has accurate records of your co-curricular roles and achievements.
- Keep original verification documents (certificates, match reports, adjudicator letters) and submit them to your County Director when requested.
- Track your level of participation (Sub-County to East African) and the exact role you played.
Budget and next steps
TSC acting CEO Evelyn Mitei is seeking roughly Sh 2 billion in the upcoming July budget to fund promotions for 50,000 teachers, doubling the previous annual target of 25,000. The updated recognition framework for co-curricular performance is expected to influence selection and promotion decisions once the budget and databases are in place.
Additional resources for teachers and schools
Teachers preparing portfolios or evidence for promotion can find supporting curriculum and exam resources, including CBC curriculum designs, practical CBC lesson plans, and national exam materials like KCPE exam resources. These resources can help teachers document classroom achievements alongside co-curricular contributions.
Summary
The updated TSC promotions approach restores meaningful recognition for co-curricular excellence by using a verified teacher database and clearer role-based recording. Teachers involved in sports, music, drama or science fairs should ensure their achievements are documented and submitted to county records to benefit from the revised promotion criteria.
