TSC: We have released posting letters for 14,460 teachers recruited in September

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) says a total of 14,460 new teachers hired in September to address shortage and replace retired employees have been posted.

TSC Chief Executive Officer, Nancy Macharia, said all the new teachers were recruited in September 2022 and confirmed that their posting letters have been released.

“The TSC has posted 14,460 new teachers who were recruited last month (September 2022) arising from the fresh recruitment, and replacement of teachers who left service through natural attrition.”

This comes at a time when a number of teachers who were recruited last month are yet to receive their posting letters despite filling employment forms.

In some counties the employment forms had the date indicated when the teacher will be posted with some indicating their posting in December 2022.

In her address at the Kenya School of Government in Nairobi on Wednesday, October 5 during the World Teachers’ Day Celebrations, Macharia also said talks are ongoing in a plan to recruit 58,000 teachers as promised by Kenya Kwanza government.

She however, did not provide the timelines for the recruitment but said teachers should expect good things going forward.

“Consultations are ongoing with the Presidency on teacher recruitment and we shall be giving (updates of the) progress as we go along. Be assured that the Kenyan teacher can only expect good things going forward. We shall be telling you how to go on with this recruitment as per the Kenya Kwanza Charter,” Dr Macharia said.

In the education charter signed with stakeholders in the education sector in June, Dr Ruto committed to “ensure that the current teacher shortage of 116,000 is fully bridged within two financial years by employing 58,000 teachers at a cost of Sh25 billion per year”.

Dr Macharia also thanked teachers for their resilience despite their heavy teaching load occassioned by huge learner enrollment.

“I celebrate the teachers for continuing to shoulder a bigger burden arising from the increased enrolment occasioned by the noble 100 per cent transition programme in our schools,” said Macharia yesterday.

Macharia said the normal three-term schools’ academic calendar will resume in January 2023 after two years of compressed studies to make up for time lost following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020.

During the Teachers’ Day celebrations, 246 teachers were recognised for their performance in teaching and effective delivery of the curriculum. 51 of these teachers were awarded.

“We are also honouring 51 teachers who have won national honours over the last two years, 21 of whom were awarded in 2022. As is our tradition, the process of identifying the teachers to be rewarded today has been done in adherence with the TSC Performance Recognition, Reward and Sanction Policy Framework,” said Dr Macharia.

The TSC boss also welcomed President William Ruto’s decision to form a 49-member taskforce (42 members and seven secretariat members) to review the competency-based-curriculum progress.

“I wish to thank the president for appointing eight classroom teachers to the team and also ensuring that the TSC secretariat is well represented in the Working Party. These teachers include Anthony Cheruiyot Sitienei, Margaret W. Chege, Peter Tabichi, Jane Kimiti, Jacinta Ngure, Bernard Kariuki Njoroge, Virginia Wahome and Salome Eyangan,” said Dr Macharia.

“We commend and welcome this bold step to engage Kenyans on the implementation of the CBC in line with the Constitution. I urge all teachers and officials of the teacher associations and unions to make presentations as would be required of the team to ensure that our country’s education sector remains on the right trajectory. The commission is fully prepared to comply with the recommendations of the Working Party as would be directed by the Head of State.”