Kenyan teachers will now spend more time with their new born children after their employer, the Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC) announced an increase of maternity and paternity leave days.
According to the new guidelines by TSC, female teachers will have an additional month of maternity leave and male employees an additional week of paternity leave after childbirth. Additionally, teachers who wish to adopt children will be given a 45-day leave.
Currently, men are entitled to only two weeks whilst their female colleagues are given three months; with the new guidelines female employees will now be entitled to a four-month maternity leave, while male employees will receive three weeks.
According to TSC chairperson, Nancy Macharia, the new changes are part of the 2021-2025 collective Bargaining Agreement between the commission and teachers and are aimed at improving the education sector. Macharia also clarified that teachers will not lose their annual maternity and paternity leave days due to the new changes.
However, all teachers will be required to submit their leave requests to the commission early enough to allow for the allocation of vacancies in their working institutions.
