Reforms in Teacher Management and Governance in Kenya: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

There has been a lot of changes in the management and governance of teachers in Kenya since the pre- independence period. These reforms have been informed by various sessional papers and reports of different educational commissions. Changes in the educational sector such as the increase in enrollment in schools due to the introduction of the Free Primary Education in 2003 and Free Day Secondary Education in 2008 have had effects on the management of teachers. Currently, the country is grappling with the implementation of the new Constitution of Kenya 2010 which assigned different levels of education to the National and County governments and established the Teachers Service Commission as a constitutional body to undertake teacher management in the country. This has implications not only on the management of education in the country but also on the management and governance of teachers. This paper seeks to highlight the milestones attained so far in the implementation of reforms in teacher management and governance in Kenya. The paper analyzes challenges encountered and proposes solutions to the challenges