Teachers have been warned against fraudsters/conmen posing as Teachers' Service Commission officials, asking them for money to help them get promotions.

The Trendynews shed in June some teachers had parted with between Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 in the hope of getting promotions.

Speaking to the Trendynews one, TSC chairperson Lydia Nzomo said promotions are solely based on performance appraisals.

The promotional system was launched in 2015 to ensure only performing teachers are awarded. It did away with the previous system where teachers were evaluated on their class attendance.

The new system sought to define the quality and usefulness of their staff and help them monitor their progress.

Nzomo said the performance appraisal system has locked out some teachers from getting promotions and they are opting for a different channel.

Nzomo said the commission had also designated staffing officers to subcounty and county offices to deal with quality issues in public schools.The officials include senior quality assurance officers.

“Performance reports from the officials [will be] forwarded to the head office where we shall act on them accordingly on determining who is fit for appraisal and even disciplinary action," Nzomo said.

The commission is also working to redefine the roles of Teacher Advisory Centres through conducting suitability studies that would set minimum qualifications for teachers to operate.

In 2015, the British Council financed a pilot appraisal system at a cost of Sh200 million. It entailed all class representatives marking a teacher's classroom attendance register to track teachers' class attendance.

The pilot was rolled out in Kisumu, Kitui, Kwale, Nyeri, Samburu and Uasin Gishu counties.