The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has listed requirements primary school teachers must have for their deployment to work in junior secondary schools (JSS).
The Commission has listed both academic qualifications and documents that are mandatory for the deployment process.
TSC plans to deploy at least 6,000 PTE teachers to JSS this year as it seeks to address a 72,422 teacher shortage.
Last year TSC advertised 6,000 deployment slots for serving primary school teachers with diploma and degree in secondary option to apply online by 18th March 2024.
In a press statement on Saturday CS Education Julius Migos said “qualified primary school teachers will be deployed to junior schools to progressively ensure that each school is adequately staffed”.
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia recently revealed that the Commission requires a total of 149,350 teachers to handle Grade 7, 8 and 9.
Macharia said currently TSC has employed 76,928 teachers in junior secondary representing 51.5% of the requirement.
So far a total of 8,378 primary school teachers were deployed to serve in junior secondary in last two years.
The Commission is under pressure to address a looming teacher crisis in JSS in January as currently the teacher to class ratio is 1:1;
The Commission has been deploying P1 teachers since 2019 as a form of promotion after numerous complaints of stagnation from primary school teachers who upgraded their academic certificates.
In 2019, 2020 and 2021 a total of 1,000 P1 teachers were deployed each year to secondary schools while in 2022 to 2024 around 8,378 teachers were deployed to serve the first cohorts of the CBC in JSS.
Nancy Macharia had said the Commission introduced phased deployment of teachers to address teacher shortage in learning institutions.
Primary School teachers wishing to be deployed to JSS must be qualified to teach in secondary schools. The teacher MUST meet the following requirements:
i) Have an active registration as a teacher with the Teachers Service Commission.
ii) Is employed as a primary school teacher with the Teachers Service Commission.
iii) Should not be currently serving an interdiction or undergoing a disciplinary process.
iv) Have a minimum of a Diploma in Education with a minimum of C+ at KCSE (or it’s equivalent) with C+ in two teaching subjects currently being offered in the school curriculum (either under 8-4-4 or CBC) or two (2) principles and one (1) subsidiary pass at “A” Level.
At least 8 units in each of the two teaching subjects.
Those with a minimum of C (plain) at KCSE (or its equivalent) and have undertaken a Diploma in Education together with a Bachelor Degree in Education qualify.
v) The degree certificate must be Bachelor of Education. Bachelor of Education (Primary Option) holders are not eligible.
Candidates are expected to present the following documents during verification exercise:
i) Original and copy of the degree/diploma certificate;
ii) Original and copies of the academic transcripts;
iii) Original and copy of SNE qualification (where applicable);
iv) Original and copy of the KCSE certificate (or its equivalent);
v) A copy of the current payslip;
vi) A declaration by the Head of Institution that the teacher is currently serving in the school and is neither serving an interdiction nor undergoing a disciplinary process.