Roles of headteacher and deputy headteacher in school

The Teacher Service Commission is among the independent commissions established by the Kenyan constitution to manage teachers in schools. It is mandated to recruit, deploy, promote, discipline, and deal with all issues of human resources relating to teachers in Kenyan schools.

To operationalize the commission the government came up with the Teachers Service Commission Code of Regulations for Teachers, 2015 which gives guidelines on all matter teachers in school. 

The main role of the headteacher is to manage the resources both human and physical to ensure a conducive environment for learning. While the deputy is supposed to deputise the roles as assigned. The classroom teacher is to use the available resources to deliver the lesson to learners in the best way possible.

In this article, we look at the roles and responsibilities assigned to the headteacher, deputy headteacher, and teachers in primary, secondary, teacher training colleges, and other learning institutions under the TSC guidelines.

TSC roles of a headteacher in school

The roles and responsibilities of the head of an institution as stipulated in the TSC Code of Regulation for Teachers, 2015 (71). The headteacher is appointed and deployed by TSC to the respective school as the lead educator and administrator.

The responsibilities of the head of public school shall include but not be limited to

1. Being responsible for compliance with professional practice at the institutional level.
2. Supervision and evaluation of the implementation of the institutional curriculum.
3. Assignment of teaching and other official duties to teachers. 
4. Undertaking a reasonable teaching load.
5. Providing direction for effective teaching and a conducive learning environment.
6. Updating the Commission and other stakeholders on institutional performance.
7. Offering technical advice to the Board of Management and other stakeholders within the institution to enable the institution to meet its objective.
8. Ensuring maintenance of teaching standards and professional records, maintained by a teacher including schemes of work, lesson notes, records of work, and pupils’ exercise books.
9. Supporting implementation of the education policy developed by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for the time being of matters related to education and training.
10. Ensuring proper management and maintenance of the institutional resources.
11. Being the custodian of the institutional records.
12. Developing the institutional plan and ensuring that institutional academic targets and objectives are met.
13. Implement the resolutions of the board of management in his capacity as Secretary to the board of management.
14. Creating a conducive environment that is engaging and fulfilling for all teachers.
15. Performing the role of quality assurance within the institution.
16. Performing such other roles as may be assigned by the TSC.

Roles of deputy headteacher

According to the guidelines, the deputy headteacher is supposed to deputise the headteacher. This means that he/she can act as the head when the headteacher is not present. 

Again he/she can be assigned by the headteacher to carry some of the responsibilities. In most institutions, a deputy headteacher deals with discipline cases of learners.

The deputy also takes the role when the headteacher retires, dies, is incapacitated, or is absent from school until the TSC appoints a new head.

Roles and responsibilities of a teacher in school

All employees of TSC in a school including headteachers are teachers first before they become administrators. This means that these roles apply to both administrators and classroom teachers. The roles include.

1. Undertake the Professional Teacher Development Programme i.e. TDAP prescribed by the TSC.
2. Use the appropriate teaching and learning resources where available.
3. Be proficient and possess mastery of the subject content.
4. Have mastery of appropriate pedagogical skills.
5. Be able to plan and effectively implement each teaching and learning activity, including the objectives, scope, timing, and teaching resources.
6. Be able to assess, provide feedback, and report to learners about their achievements in learning.
7. Be professional and adhere to ethical practices.
8. Be prudent in the management of resources.
9. Comply with the Act, regulations, the Teachers Service Commission Code of Conduct and Ethics for Teachers, and other relevant legal instruments.
10. Comply with the performance standards specified under the Act and  Code and shall in the course performance of the teacher duty possess the following documents.

• Certificate of Registration.
• Syllabi for the relevant cycle of education approved by Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
• Schemes of work.
• Lesson plans.
• Lesson notes.
• Records of work.
• Learners’ progress records.
• Learners’ value-added records.
• Class attendance register.
• Any other necessary legal documents on education.