You’ve worked hard for that TSC number. Maybe you trained at Kenyatta University or a local TTC, survived the long queues at the TSC offices, and finally landed that job. But did you know a single mistake can wipe it all away? The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) doesn’t play when it comes to professional conduct.
Deregistration means you’re out—permanently barred from teaching in any public or private school in Kenya. Let’s cut to the chase and look at the six major things that can get a teacher deregistered by TSC.
1. Professional Misconduct: It’s More Than Just a Warning Letter
Professional misconduct is a broad category, but TSC has a clear Code of Regulations. This isn’t about forgetting to mark books. We’re talking serious breaches of trust.
The Big No-Nos
First, any form of sexual relationship with a learner is an instant career-ender. Zero tolerance. Full stop. The same goes for corporal punishment that causes injury. Gone are the days of ‘kiboko’ discipline.
Other fireable offences include:
- Chronic absenteeism without permission.
- Being drunk or intoxicated on duty.
- Engaging in violent conduct or fighting at the school.
- Gross insubordination against your head teacher or TSC officials.
Think of it this way: if it would make headlines in the Daily Nation, it will definitely get TSC’s attention.
2. Faking Your Documents (Forgery)
TSC verification is no joke. Submitting forged academic or professional certificates to get registered or promoted is a direct ticket to deregistration.
This includes:
- Fake KCSE certificates or degree certificates.
- Altered transcripts from your college or university.
- Forged letters of recommendation or identification documents.
With TSC now digitally integrated with institutions and the DCI, verifying documents is easier than ever for them. That fake paper from River Road won’t pass. The risk? Losing your career and potentially facing criminal charges under Kenyan law.
3. Criminal Conviction and Moral Turpitude
If you are convicted of a criminal offence in a Kenyan court, TSC will act. The severity of the crime matters. A traffic fine might not do it, but a felony will.
Moral turpitude refers to acts that are considered grossly unethical by society’s standards. Think fraud, theft, defilement, assault, or corruption. Even if the crime didn’t happen at school, a conviction signals you’re unfit to be a role model for learners. Your TSC registration is a privilege based on public trust. Break that trust, and you lose the privilege.
4. Desertion and Abandonment of Duty
This is a common one. You can’t just decide to stop showing up to your station, especially if you’re employed in a hardship area. Desertion means you’ve left your job without official permission and with no intention of returning.
TSC considers you to have deserted if you’re absent for 14 consecutive days without communication or a valid reason. Maybe you got a ‘better’ job in Nairobi and left your posting in Kitui or Turkana. Without following the proper resignation channels through your head teacher and TSC, you are abandoning duty. The consequence is deregistration, making it impossible to be hired anywhere else.
5. Chronic Incapacity Due to Illness or Addiction
This is a sensitive one. If a teacher suffers from a prolonged physical or mental illness that makes them permanently unable to teach, TSC can deregister them. This isn’t about a short sick leave.
It involves a medical board’s assessment. Similarly, addiction to drugs or alcohol that impairs professional performance and doesn’t improve after intervention can lead to removal. The focus here is on the teacher’s inability to safely and effectively fulfill their core duties in the classroom, day in, day out.
6. Violation of TSC Code of Conduct and Ethics
This is the umbrella for other unethical behaviours not covered above. The TSC Code of Conduct is your professional bible. Violations that can get you deregistered include:
- Exam malpractice: Leaking KNEC papers or helping students cheat.
- Misappropriation of funds: Stealing school capitation or project money.
- Chronic negligence: Repeated failure to prepare lessons or assess learners.
- Ethical breaches: Like demanding sex for grades or fees from students or parents.
These actions destroy the integrity of the profession. TSC’s mandate is to protect it, even if it means removing you.
What Deregistration Actually Looks Like on the Ground
Let’s get practical. You’ve heard the rules, but how does this play out in our Kenyan context? First, the process isn’t overnight. If an allegation is made—say, by a board of management in a school in Nakuru—TSC will institute disciplinary proceedings. You’ll get a hearing. But don’t think you can just relocate to another county.
TSC’s system is national. Once deregistered, your name and TSC number go on a blacklist accessible to all school boards. You cannot be legally employed anywhere. Those private academies in Kitengela or informal schools in Kawangware that sometimes ask for less paperwork? Even they risk closure by TSC if they hire a deregistered teacher.
Think about the financial hit. Losing a job that pays a monthly salary of, say, Ksh 50,000 for a primary school teacher or over Ksh 100,000 for a senior secondary teacher is devastating. You can’t just jump into another school. Your teaching certificate is worthless. The alternative? Trying to find work in a different field, often starting from the bottom.
Local Tip: Many teachers don’t know that even after a disciplinary case, you have a right to appeal to the TSC Commission Secretary within a set timeframe. But your best defence is knowing the rules and avoiding these six pitfalls altogether. Keep your professional record as clean as your lesson plan book.
Final Word: Protect Your TSC Number Like Your M-Pesa PIN
That TSC number is your professional lifeline. It’s what validates you from Mandera to Migori. The six things that can get a teacher deregistered by TSC—misconduct, forgery, crime, desertion, incapacity, and ethics violations—are all within your control to avoid. This career is more than a job; it’s a position of public trust. Stay informed, follow the Code of Regulations, and teach with integrity. Your future self will thank you.
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