TSC Announces 2,014 Teaching Vacancies in May 2025
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced 2,014 teaching vacancies due to natural attrition, aiming to alleviate staffing shortages in schools.
The new hires will be employed on permanent and pensionable contracts, with 637 positions designated for senior secondary schools and 32 for junior schools.
The majority of the new teachers will be assigned to fill 1,309 positions in primary schools, with applications for these roles set to close on May 19, 2025.
In a notice, the TSC stated, “The Teachers Service Commission is declaring 2,014 vacancies to replace teachers who have left the service due to natural attrition: 1,309 positions for primary schools, 32 for junior schools, and 673 for secondary schools. The recruited teachers will serve on Permanent and Pensionable terms.”
Public primary schools that also host junior classes have faced significant staffing challenges, particularly after over one million students transitioned to Grade 9 under the competency-based curriculum (CBC).
Last year, the government transitioned 39,550 junior school teachers from contract to permanent positions, while an additional 8,378 primary school teachers were reassigned to junior schools following upgrades.
Despite these measures, a severe teacher shortage remains in the 20,000 junior schools, with TSC data indicating a shortfall of 72,422 teachers.
This staffing deficit has led to overwhelmed teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of subject specialists necessary for the effective implementation of the CBC.
The government began implementing the CBC in 2018, introducing significant changes that divide elementary education into pre-primary and primary, lasting two and six years, respectively.
As a result, Grade six is now the final year of primary school, after which students move on to junior secondary, spanning Grades 7 to 9.
The CBC, which focuses on practical learning and personalized instruction, necessitates smaller class sizes and subject-specific expertise, further exacerbating the teacher shortage.
Applicants for the available positions must be Kenyan citizens, possess a P1 certificate for primary school roles, or hold a diploma in education for junior and secondary school positions, and must be registered with the TSC.
This job advertisement follows calls from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) for the TSC to prioritize higher academic qualifications in teacher recruitment rather than relying solely on Form Four results.