TSC job applicants set to start recruitment interviews on Thursday

Teachers who applied for employment by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will start their recruitment interviews on Thursday this week.

Some applicants have already received invitation SMS for the interviews which will start on 21st July at 8:00am and end on 27th July 2022.

Some counties are yet to inform the applicants of the interview but this should be done by tomorrow midnight.

However TSC failed to honour its promise of publishing shortlisted teachers on its website as it earlier said.

The Commission only made available shortlisting lists for two regions i.e. Nyanza and Nairobi with other regions like Eastern, Central, Coast etc missing.

TSC had said through its recruitment roadmap that it will publish the shortlisted candidates on its website from Wednesday 13^th July, 2022 to Friday 15^th July, 2022.

Unemployed teachers relied on circulating excel lists on various teacher whatsapp groups.

For PTE teachers they will have to submit the following documents for verification during the recruitment interviews.

a) National identification card;

b) Certificate of Registration as a teacher;

c) Authentic evidence of service as a teacher intern (where applicable);

d) PTE /DPTE Certificate;

e) KCSE certificates or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams);

f) KCPE certificate or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams);

g) Letter of Certification of results by KNEC (where applicable);

h) Primary and Secondary School leaving certificates and other relevant testimonials;

i) National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (where applicable);

j) An Affidavit sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act, Cap 15 of the Laws of Kenya to explain the variance in names.

The unemployment crisis in the country is such huge with over 356,000 jobless teachers putting in applications for the 14,000 jobs advertised by the TSC.

The high number of applicants sets the stage for a stiff recruitment exercise that will also leave hundreds of thousands dejected by failure to secure jobs. This is despite there being an acute teacher shortage in public primary and secondary schools.

For each of the advertised positions, only the top five candidates will be shortlisted, in a departure from the past when long merit lists would be developed although only a few stood a chance of getting the job.

“However, some areas like in the Asal [arid and semi arid lands] zones might have fewer applicants,” a source said. TSC intends to complete the selection process and handling of complaints in the next two weeks before the successful candidates report to schools on September 1 2022.

Post-primary teaching vacancies attracted the highest number of applicants with 219,311 teachers expressing interest in the 4,000 new vacancies available. Out of the advertised 1,000 new vacancies for primary school teachers, the commission received 136,833 applications. Shortlisted candidates will be recruited at the county level before being posted to their respective schools.

TSC has also advertised 8,230 vacancies to replace teachers who have quit the service through natural attrition.

The vacancies are both in primary schools (6,539) and post-primary institutions (1,691) and attracted 327,882 applications.

ROADMAP FOR RECRUITMENT OF TEACHERS – JULY, 2022

Through affirmative action, TSC advertised for some positions specifically targeting Mandera, Garissa and Wajir counties, which are heavily understaffed.

Teachers from other regions have in recent years resisted deployment in the region due to insecurity where non-locals are often targeted.

TSC intends to deploy 1,230 teachers in the region on both permanent and pensionable and contractual basis. Applicants who have expressed interest in the jobs are 21,194.

“To qualify for recruitment, a candidate must be teaching under board of management in Garissa, Mandera or Wajir counties, if not hailing from the three counties,” said Dr Nancy Macharia, the TSC chief executive, when declaring the vacancies. This is to encourage teachers from the region to apply for the jobs.

Dr Macharia added that the merit lists that will be generated during the exercise will be used in subsequent recruitment within the financial year.

The recruitment comes at a time when leading political players are capitalising on the situation to promise trained but jobless teachers jobs if they win.

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential candidate Raila Odinga has promised to employ all jobless teachers if he wins while his main rival, Deputy President William Ruto of the United Democratic Alliance has promised to employ 116,000 teachers in two years.

Joblessness among professionals despite chronic under-staffing is not only in the education sector . Although public medical facilities are understaffed, there thousands of medics who are either jobless or under-employed.