The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia has asked primary school headteachers who are also principals of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in acting capacity to treat well the JSS teachers.
Speaking during the Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA) conference in Mombasa, Macharia asked the headteachers to understand that the JSS teachers do not earn money and so need their support.
Macharia’s sentiments comes after numerous cases of conflicts between JSS teachers and primary school headteachers were reported.
Unlike their collogues who are on permanent and pensionable form of employment the JSS intern teachers do not earn a salary but a stipend.
The teachers get a stipend of sh 20,000 per month that is downsized to sh 17,000 after statutory deductions (SHIF, Housing Levy, NSSF).
Macharia wants headteachers to support the teachers so they can help implement CBC in school. The headteachers can support the interns in ways like paying for their feeding programme in school, supporting them with transport fare to various training centres.
Many reasons have been listed for the unending turmoil in schools caused by the two parties.
Some of the reasons for the disharmony between the primary school headteachers and the JSS teachers are;
! Superiority complex where some JSS teachers think they are superior in terms of academic excellence compared to some headteachers who only have PTE certificates or a Diploma.
2. School monies where the JSS teachers feel the headteachers are not the right people to manage the JSS cash. Some teachers also claim the funds are being misused and not used appropriately.
3. Immaturity where some headteachers claim the JSS teachers are childish and behaving unprofessionally.
4 Insecurities of the headteachers who view the JSS teachers as a threat to the capitation they receive in schools. Some do not want the teachers to have any say over the JSS funds.
5. Frustrations due to harsh economy experienced by the JSS teachers because of the little pay they get from the employer while their colleagues earn better.
Macharia also said a total of 20,000 JSS intern teachers will be posted to schools early January to support learning in Grade 9.
TSC has started document verification exercise for the 20,000 JSS teaching slots in various sub counties countrywide.
This is after it closed the online application exercise on 4th November midnight. The document verification exercise runs from 7th to 15th November 2024.
After verifying documents for the applicants, TSC will then require them to sign a one year internship agreement before posting them to various schools in early January.
TSC has already announced retooling of all the JSS teachers which will be done at sub county level from 2nd to 5th December, 2024.
The teachers will be trained on the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and Competency Based Assessments (CBA).
During the verification exercise in the sub counties the applicants shall be required to produce the following: –
- A copy of Teacher Registration Certificate/print-out from TSC online portal as evidence of registration as a teacher;
- A copy of National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPWD) card (where applicable);
- A copy of the National Identity Card (ID) or Passport;
- Two (2) colour passport size photographs;
- A copy of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) card;
- A copy of Kenya Revenue Authority Personal Identification Number (KRA PIN).
The Teacher Internship Programme is a one (1) year programme meant to equip and sustain competencies of persons entering the teaching service.
The programme targets unemployed registered teachers to be assigned to learning institutions where their teaching experience will be enhanced through mentorship, coaching and exposure to practical teaching experience.
The internship period will be for twelve months though majority of the current intern teachers have served for two years.
Teacher internship is not a remunerative engagement. However, interns attached to Junior Secondary schools will be eligible for a monthly stipend of Kshs. 20 ,000/=.
The stipend will be paid subject to statutory deductions like NHIF, Housing levy, and NSSF where applicable.
On successful completion of the Internship Programme, teacher interns will be awarded a certificate.
In this years scoresheet for recruitment of 46,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, TSC awarded 50 marks to teachers who served on internship terms thus making conversion to pnp for those who served on internship automatic.