TSC Mandates Daily Attendance Tracking for JSS Intern Teachers Amid Strike

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has mandated the daily tracking of attendance for Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers. This directive comes during a nationwide strike by the interns, which coincides with the reopening of schools for the second term.

New Attendance Monitoring Framework

According to an internal memo from TSC Director of Staffing Antonina Lentoijoni, regional and county directors must immediately begin consolidating daily attendance records. The commission has introduced a mandatory reporting template for all school headteachers to ensure compliance. This data must be submitted to the TSC headquarters daily.

The memo specifies that the monitoring effort is intended to assist in the management of JSS intern teachers. Headteachers are required to provide data using a structured format consisting of two main sections:

• Section One: A detailed list of intern teachers absent from duty, alongside the specific reasons for their absence, including sick leave, official assignments, or unauthorized absences.
• Section Two: A daily numerical summary categorizing the present and absent intern teachers by county.

Headteachers have been advised to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of these daily reports.

Context of the Directives

These attendance tracking measures are being implemented concurrently with protests by JSS intern teachers. The interns are currently boycotting work to demand permanent employment terms. The monitoring of unauthorized absences is widely interpreted as a preliminary step toward potential administrative action by the commission.