The Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024 has sent shockwaves through the private education sector by clarifying a long-debated legal gray area: the Commission’s authority over teachers not on the public payroll.
In a decisive move during the parliamentary sessions of February 2026, the TSC has asserted that its mandate to “maintain the register” carries with it the universal power to discipline any registered teacher, regardless of whether they work for a government school or a high-cost private academy.
For years, many private school teachers operated under the assumption that they were only accountable to their Board of Directors or school owners. The 2024 Bill dismantles this notion. It stipulates that the moment a teacher accepts a TSC Registration Number, they enter into a professional contract with the state.
Under the new law, a private school teacher found guilty of misconduct—such as the sexual exploitation of a learner or exam malpractice—will not just be fired by their school; they will be summarily struck off the national register by the TSC, rendering them legally “unemployable” in any school across the country.
Standardizing Ethical Conduct Across the Board
The Bill introduces a universal Code of Conduct and Ethics that applies to all educators. Private schools will now be required by law to report any disciplinary cases involving “moral turpitude” to the TSC within 14 days. This is intended to stop the “shuffling” of errant teachers, where a predator is quietly dismissed from one private school only to be hired by another a few months later.
By centralizing disciplinary records, the TSC aims to create a “permanent record” that follows a teacher throughout their career, ensuring that private institutions are not used as safe havens for those unfit to teach.
The Practicing Certificate Requirement
A significant hurdle for private educators is the new Practicing Certificate. Similar to lawyers or doctors, all teachers will soon be required to renew their license every few years. To qualify for renewal, a teacher must prove they have completed mandatory Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points.
Private school owners have expressed concern that this adds a layer of bureaucracy and cost, but the TSC remains firm: “A teacher is a teacher, whether they teach in a mud-walled classroom or a glass-walled academy.” The safety and quality standards for a child in a private school must be identical to those in the public sector.
The Oversight of “Alternative” Schools
The 2024 reforms also bring Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) schools—often found in informal settlements—under stricter TSC oversight. These schools, which often employ “unregistered” tutors, will now face stiff penalties if they fail to ensure their staff are TSC-compliant.
The Commission argues that by regulating the private sector, it is protecting parents from “academic quacks” and ensuring that the “noble profession” maintains its dignity across every square inch of the Republic.
