A total of 44,000 teachers assigned to teach in junior schools will append their signatures on a one year internship contract with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) by December this year.
The Commission has initiated plans and preparations to ensure the exercise is completed by Christmas.
These are 20,000 teachers currently serving in junior schools and whose contracts end in December and another 24,000 teachers whose recruitment is about to be finalized before being posted to junior schools early January.
Recently President William Ruto said the 20,000 JSS intern teachers will be confirmed after serving a two year contract.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi who had earlier assured the teachers of confirmation come January also made an about turn.
CS Mbadi now says the teachers will have to wait till the end of 2026 for them to be converted to permanent and pensionable terms terming internship opportunity a privilege.
“There are many unemployed trained teachers earning nothing who want to become even interns, confirmation of the interns is at the end of 2026,” said Mbadi during a TV interview.
The teachers however are opposed to this move to extend their contract for another year.
They have since threatened a nationwide strike when schools reopen in January.
The Commission will resume to complete pending recruitment exercise for the 24,000 junior school intern teachers after completion of KCSE exams.
TSC advertised the vacancies in September but is yet to carry out document verification exercise that will culminate to signing of internship contracts.
The employment of the junior school teachers is on a one year internship basis.
TSC Chairperson, Jamleck Muturi, said the recruitment process for the 24,000 new teachers has been digitized to enhance efficiency and transparency.
“Registration of teachers has been automated, and recruitment is now fully online,” Dr. Muturi said during Kepsha conference in Mombasa. “By January, 24,000 teachers will be in class.”
However TSC scoresheet shows priority will be given to unemployed teachers with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, Technical subjects then Languages respectively.
The Commission has previously warned that there is dire shortage of science teachers in the country and will focus to address such.
Teachers with one Science subject plus any other subject (Biology/…,Chemistry/…, Physics/ ….,) combinations have been awarded 65 marks.
Mathematics with any none science subject combinations have been awarded 55 marks.
Those with one technical/ or Creative Arts Subject (Home science/…, Computer studies/…., Business studies/…, Music/…, Drawing & design/…, Art & design/…, woodwork/…, Electricity/…, Aviation technology/…, Electronics/…..Building & construction/…, Metalwork/…, Power mechanics/…. PE/…) have been awarded 40 marks.
Language teachers with one language and any other subject (French/…, English/…, Kiswahili/…, German/…, Arabic/…, Mandarin/……) have been awarded 25 marks.
However Art teachers, those with one Art and any subject combinations e.g. History/…, CRE/…, Geography/…, IRE/., HRE/…Life Skills/… have suffered a blow. TSC has awarded only 5 marks.
The teachers will be posted to junior schools in January. They will earn a monthly stipend of sh. 20,000 but get a net of sh 17,000 after Housing Levy, SHIF and NSSF deductions.
Their recruitment will push the number of teachers hired by Kenya Kwanza in the past three years to 100,000, marking a major milestone in the government’s education reforms.
Education CS Julius Ogamba had earlier said that another recruitment will be made next year to equip junior schools with enough teachers.
“An additional 16,000 teachers will follow later in the year, as we continue bridging the teacher shortage that has challenged our education system for years.”
The CS hailed Kenyan teachers for their “resilience and sacrifice,” describing them as “true nation builders” and key to the successful rollout of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum.
Teachers shortlisted for the 24,000 JSS intern jobs shall be required to present originals and clear photocopies of the following documents during verification exercise;
1) National identification card (ID)
2) Certificate of Registration as a teacher
3) Diploma or Degree certificate and official transcript
4) KCSE certificate or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams)
5) KCPE certificate or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams)
6) Primary and secondary school leaving certificates and other relevant testimonials
7) National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (where applicable)
8) An affidavit sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act. Cap 15 of the Laws of Kenya to explain the variance in names
9) Letter of certification of results by KNEC (where applicable)
