Science graduate and diploma teachers as well as teachers with technical subjects are having a field day in the ongoing recruitment of 20,000 junior secondary school (JSS) intern teachers.
The Commission is currently carrying out document verification for the teacher applicants who were shortlisted after it closed the online application exercise on 4th November midnight.
The document verification exercise which started on 11th is expected to run till 22nd November 2024.
However whats emerging is that science teachers are being favoured in this recruitment after TSC announced that schools are in dire shortage of science teachers.
Teachers with science subjects combinations as well as those with technical subjects have a higher success rate in the recruitment exercise compared to those with art combinations. In fact in some sub counties only science teachers are picked.
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia had warned that there is a shortage of science teachers in the country.
During her appearance before the National Assembly education committee, Macharia stated that despite having over 400,000 unemployed teachers nationwide, the commission is struggling to recruit teachers for science subjects.
She noted that many schools, especially JSS, are not adequately staffed with science teachers and that applications for these positions are rarely received.
“What stands out is the problem of science teachers. Based on our data, we will be able to determine the percentage of arts versus science teachers. However, it is clear that the majority are in the arts,” Macharia explained.
“I have never shied away from acknowledging the crisis of teacher shortages. We will recruit and redistribute teachers across all counties, but when we advertise for positions, we hardly receive applications for subjects like Physics.”
“We have communicated with the education ministry and have reached out to our schools multiple times regarding the lack of science teachers. Action needs to be taken,” she stated.
During the verification exercise in the sub counties the applicants are required to produce the following document’s: –
- 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).
After verifying documents for the applicants, TSC will then require the successful ones 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).
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.
