Primary school headteachers are continuing to receive the newly employed junior school intern teachers ahead of January school reopening.
The primary school heads double up as Principals of junior schools in acting capacity that are being hosted inside their primary schools.
The reception which started last week continue this week for most counties as TSC rush to ensure the junior schools are adequately staffed in readiness for first term.
The Commission advertised 24,000 junior school intern teaching jobs in September and invited teachers with Diploma and Degree in secondary teacher education to apply.
It then carried out document verification in November where successful teachers signed a one year internship term that runs from 1st January to 31st December 2026.
The deployment of the teachers however come after the Commission acting CEO Eveleen Mitei unleashed startling comments regarding status of TSC internship programme.
Mitei raised eyebrows after she said that the internship programme is not a guarantee for future permanent employment.
Instead she said the Teacher Internship Programme is only aimed to equip and sustain competencies of persons entering the teaching service.
The programme, she added, 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.
Currently TSC is finalizing renewing of internship contracts for the current serving 10,000 JSS intern teachers.
In a circular dated 27th November, TSC Director of Staffing, Antonina Lentoijoni, ordered immediate extension of contract for the serving interns.
“The Commission approved the extension of contracts for all serving Junior School Teacher Interns for a further twelve (12) months, with effect from 1st January, 2026 to 31st December, 2026 in line with the Teacher Internship Policy and Guidelines (2019),” she said in the circular.
She ordered County Directors to ensure the intern teachers renew their contract by 20th December.
Those who accepted were required to sign offer of extension of contract and proceed to submit a new Personal Accident Cover for the new engagement period.
Those who declined the offer were required to sign in the decline section and proceed to hand over all school property in their custody and clear with the Head of Institution.
In an interview with journalists, President William Ruto had said all intern teachers will have to serve for two years before they can be converted to permanent employment.
This means intern teachers will have to renew contract for another one year before they can be considered for permanent employment.
TSC pays the JSS intern teachers a monthly stipend of sh. 20,000 but they receive a net of around sh. 17,000 after SHIF, Housing Levy and NSSF statutory deductions.
More recruitment of JSS teachers will be done next year. Education CS Julius Ogamba said the recruitment will be done to equip junior schools with enough teachers.
“An additional 16,000 will follow later in the year, as we continue bridging the teacher shortage that has challenged our education system for years.”