Primary school teachers seeking deployment to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) must have scored a minimum grade of C+ (plus)  in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has set stricter academic qualifications to enhance learning in schools.

It will also be mandatory for the teachers to have acquired a minimum grade of C+ in each of the two teaching subjects or their equivalent.

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The move is aimed at ensuring teachers have a strong academic foundation that will enable them to deliver high-quality education.

“To be deployed as Junior Secondary School teachers, one must be serving as primary school teachers employed by TSC nd must hold a diploma or degree in education,” a statement by TSC, posted on their X account read.

The new directive is in line with the ongoing rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which necessitates skilled educators for Junior Secondary School Education.

For students to join Teachers Training Colleges for diplomas, they are required to obtain a minimum of grade C+ in KCSE, a minimum of C in mathematics and English/Kiswahili, and a minimum of C+ in any subsidiary subjects.

Joe Mungai, a former Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary for Thika branch, said the directive will ensure that only the best handle learners.

However, he said teachers should have other qualities besides academic qualifications.

“A good teacher must be empathetic, respectful and responsible. Must go beyond a schedule and produce an all-round student. Is it scientific that a teacher who is good in academics will also be great in spotting talent?”

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.

The recently confirmed 46,000 Junior School Teachers (JSS) teacher are now demanding to be compensated for the time they served in internship. The Teachers, who whose terms were changed to Permanent and Pensionable terms by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in January 2025, want full payment for the period they served on Internship.

The teachers have at the same time formed their own association Kenya Junior School Teachers Association (Kejusta) to fight for their rights; claiming that both the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) have not represented them well.

Also read: Revealed: TSC to employ another 6,000 Teachers on Permanent basis

The teachers accused the two teachers’ unions of barring them from participating fairly in their activities so that their grievances could be heard and addressed.

The national chairperson and spokesperson of  Kejusta, Omari Omari, said after their conversion from interns to permanent and pensionable employees, several issues remained unresolved.

“We celebrate the recruitment, but several issues remain unaddressed. Key among them is the deliberate obstruction by the existing unions for us to participate fairly in the union activities so that our grievances can be heard and addressed,” Mr Omari says.

He says failure by the existing teacher unions to offer equitable representation for the JSS teachers would be an injustice.

“The future of the young teachers’ activism is uncertain; but what is certain is that even as we ebb and flow, we will not be stopped,” said Mr Omari.

Omari heaped praises on President William Ruto for recruiting thousands of teachers to bridge the gap.

“He has hired a whopping 46,000 teachers, the highest one-off recruitment in the history of the country. Even with the many negatives being painted all over, this is a major achievement that should be celebrated,” He said.

Omari says both Kuppet and Knut had little contribution in having their terms of employment improved by TSC.

“With no union protection, we took to the streets to fight against what we felt was an injustice. We won, albeit with a lot of intimidation and loss of two years served unfairly as interns. Currently, our demands have changed to compensation for the time we served in internship. The slogan is’ Seek ye first the job group kingdom, and all else shall be added unto you’” he said.

On December 10th 2024, during the Knut delegate’s conference in Mombasa, the JSS teachers demanded positions in the giant union.

Mr Omari urged Knut to allow them to join the union, with a demand that at least 500 positions be reserved for them nationwide.

“As JSS teachers, we have faced numerous challenges that remained unresolved due to the lack of union representation. We were advised to form or join a union to effectively voice our concerns. While we have the option to join Kuppet or Knut, we have specific demands that need to be addressed,” said Mr Omari.

In his response, Knut Secretary-General, Collins Oyuu, asked them to be patient as their demands will be discussed.

Kuppet has also tried to woo the vibrant teachers to their side by creating a special post for them through the latest constitutional ammendments.