The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will recruit 20,000 teachers on internship terms in October this year.
These are 18,000 junior secondary school and 2,000 primary school intern teachers.
Making the revelation, Principal Secretary (PS) for Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, said 56,000 teachers have so far been recruited for the success of the Competency Based Assessment (CBC) and plans to hire another 20,000 will give it a boost.
PS Kipsang also said that the government is building 18,000 classrooms to accommodate Grade 9 learners in January next year.
He said 11,000 classes are being developed with support from development partners while 7,000 classes are being built through CDF.
He said the government is fully committed to the success of CBC and is working with all partners to put in place the necessary infrastructure.
Kipsang said all plans were also in place to ensure smooth transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10 in 2026.
TSC will also confirm to permanent and pensionable terms a total 46,000 teachers currently working on internship terms.
The Commission has been allocated sh 18.7 billion for the exercise. The conversion will happen in January 2025.
The teachers will be issued with internship certificates at the end of their contract. The certificates will award them more marks during recruitment interviews.
TSC already extended contracts by four months for 18,000 JSS and 2,000 P1 intern teachers whose internship contracts ended on 31st August 2024.
The Teacher Internship Programme is a one 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.
Application for TSC internship shall strictly be done online.
To be eligible to serve as intern in primary school one must be a holder of a PTE or DPTE certificate and is registered with TSC.
Those in junior school must have at least a Diploma and C+ in KCSE with C+ in two teaching subjects. They must also be registered with TSC.
During verification/ interviews, applicants shall be required to produce the following: –
i) A copy of Teacher Registration Certificate/print-out from TSC online portal as evidence of registration as a teacher;
ii) A copy of National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPWD) card (where applicable);
iii) A copy of the National Identity Card (ID) or Passport;
iv) Two (2) colour passport size photographs;
v) A copy of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) card;
vi) A copy of Kenya Revenue Authority Personal Identification Number (KRA PIN).
Interns attached to primary schools will earn a monthly stipend of sh 15,000 while those in junior school will get sh 20,000.
On successful completion of the Internship Programme, teacher interns will be awarded an internship certificate which will carry some marks during their confirmation to permanent terms.