The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, will be hiring 12,000 new teachers ahead of the January 2021 full reopening of schools. Under the Economic Stimulus Programme, the commission was allocated Sh2.4 billion funds to engage 12,000 interns.
According to TSC Boss Dr. Nancy Macharia, recruiting the additional 12,000 teachers will bring to 23,574, the total number of teacher interns hired since last year.
In the current financial year, the commission received a budget of Sh2.5 billion to employ 5,000 teachers on Permanent and Pensionable terms.
In a report tabled by Dr. Macharia during a two-day consultative forum with National Assembly Education Committee this week, TSC requires Sh17 billion to hire about 26,000 teachers to address staffing gaps in secondary schools. An additional Sh8.1 billion will be required annually to hire 12,500 teachers to plug the normal shortage. The situation is worsened by current Covid 19 pandemic and the 100 percent transition policy.
Macharia says her target to enroll 12,500 new teachers yearly has not been met due to inadequate budgetary provisions. She added that under normal staffing, the commission needed 50,504 teachers to support the existing staff establishment.
The Commission is also set to train close to 118,000 teachers next month on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at a cost of Sh1 billion. See details on this training here.
“The commission intends to prepare teachers for eventual re-opening of schools through training, capacity building, sensitization and induction programmes,” She added.
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Teacher promotions.
TSC says about 55,000 teachers have been promoted this year. Another 3,900 are scheduled for interviews. Similarly, 460 teachers have already been interviewed and their letters are on the way.
The Legislators wants the Commission to come up with a clear policy in promoting teachers in order to avoid situations where most stagnate in same job grades for long. But, Macharia was quick to point out that budgetary constraints were to blame.
“The criteria used in promotion of teachers include the availability of budget/funds; the existence of vacancies in the authorised establishment; merit and ability as reflected in the teacher’s work performance; academic and professional qualification among others,” she explained.
Dr. Macharia, sought the committee’s indulgence in finding a lasting solution to the challenges faced by the commission, among them; the need to develop a policy framework to guide the employment and promotion of new and older teachers.