Status of TSC Teachers in the County: The Kenya Kwanza administration has achieved an unprecedented milestone in teacher recruitment, with a 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝟕𝟔,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬.
The government has spent 𝐊𝐬𝐡𝐬 𝟑𝟕 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 towards the recruitment of 𝟓𝟔,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 on permanent and pensionable terms while 𝟐𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 are engaged on an internship basis. This aligns with the commitment we outlined in the BETA Plan, to bridge the teacher shortage gap which we found at over 116,000.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC), is one of the largest employers in the whole continent of Africa, currently managing a workforce of 𝟒𝟏𝟎,𝟐𝟓𝟖 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. This is against a register of over 805,000 registered teachers, with those not employed by the government engaged in private practice in private institutions and mission schools while over 300,00 qualified and registered teachers remain unemployed.
Recognizing this surplus of qualified yet unemployed teachers, the government is expanding international labor opportunities for Kenyan educators. Currently, Kenyan teachers are being considered for placement in 17 countries, with high demand for our teachers in the United States, Ireland, Germany, South Africa, Thailand, and other nations. In July this year, the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi, flagged off the first cohort of Kenyan teachers to take up teaching roles in U.S. district schools, marking a significant step in our teacher mobility initiative.
The government also prioritizes teacher promotion and professional development, to ensure we have a motivated and productive teaching workforce. To this effect, the government allocates Kshs 2 billion every year for promoting teachers.
The Kenya Kwanza administration has promoted a record 𝟕𝟔,𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 so far. This includes a record single promotion of 66,504 teachers during the last financial year.
To align educators with the new Competency-Based Education (CBE) and the Competency Based Assessment (CBA) systems, the government is investing Kshs 1.2 billion annually in teacher retooling and retraining. So far, 𝟐𝟖𝟗,𝟗𝟑𝟒 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, comprising 229,292 primary school teachers and 60,642 junior secondary teachers, have been re-equipped with modern skills and competencies to match the needs of the new curriculum. This training extends to educators in both public and private institutions, including Special Needs Education (SNE) schools.
The TSC is also embracing the government’s digitization agenda by leveraging technology to streamline its operations and enhance service delivery. This ensures efficient management of its extensive workforce and faster, better services to all Kenyans including teacher registration, pension status, and HR management among other functions.
As part of showcasing the achievements of the government in job creation, I visited the TSC stand at the ongoing Jamhuri National Job Fair at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. The fair highlights nearly 1 million job opportunities that the Kenya Kwanza administration has created locally, internationally, and in the digital space. The fair is ongoing until the eve of this year’s Jamhuri day, themed, ‘Jobs, Labour Migration, Entrepreneurship and Entertainment’
Through these initiatives, the Kenya Kwanza administration reaffirms its commitment to building a world-class education system, empowering Kenyan educators, and creating sustainable job opportunities locally and abroad.