TSC considering lowering JSS deployment requirements for P1 teachers
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is contemplating reducing the qualifications needed for primary school teachers to be assigned to junior secondary schools (JSS).
Despite keeping the application portal open for sixty-six days, the Commission has not made significant progress towards its recruitment goal.
The application portal remains active, but there has been little activity in terms of applications.
TSC aims to place 6,000 P1 teachers in JSS by April, but the deployment criteria appear to be unattainable for many PTE teachers.
Initially, TSC indicated that primary school teachers with any education-related diploma or degree could be deployed to JSS, but later reversed this decision after receiving contrary advice.
TSC had compiled lists from its database of P1 teachers with various diplomas and degrees to consider for placement in grade nine.
Additionally, TSC gathered further information about the teachers from primary school Heads of Institutions (HOIs).
In an Excel template, TSC requested that primary school heads provide details such as the teachers’ KCSE mean grade, areas of specialization (e.g., BED Arts, BED Primary Option, BED Science, BED ECDE, BED SNE, Diploma in Education, Diploma SNE, Diploma ECDE), and two teaching subjects with mean grades for those with secondary options.
However, TSC later abandoned this plan. Most primary school teachers have a mean grade of C (plain) in KCSE, although some have since upgraded to diploma and degree qualifications.
Next month, TSC will begin verifying documents and assigning primary school teachers to junior secondary schools.
The online application process is currently underway as the Commission seeks to find P1 teachers with the necessary qualifications for deployment.
The application period, which started on January 13, was initially set to close on January 24 but was extended due to a low number of applicants.
Recently, officials from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) urged TSC to relax its strict academic requirements for deploying P1 teachers to JSS in the interest of students.
They suggested that TSC should retrain PTE teachers and permit them to teach Grade 7, 8, and 9 students.
In the deployment process, TSC requires practicing P1 teachers to hold a degree in secondary education with at least a C+ in KCSE and at least a C+ in two teaching subjects.
The Commission has faced criticism for neglecting P1 teachers who are well-suited to teach subjects like Music, Art and Craft, and Physical Education, which JSS teachers are currently struggling with.
Many P1 teachers possess strong KCSE grades and hold diplomas and degrees, but their qualifications do not meet TSC’s deployment criteria.
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia stated that the Commission needs a total of 72,422 teachers to address the shortage in JSS.
She noted that TSC requires a total of 149,350 teachers to adequately cover Grades 7, 8, and 9.
Currently, TSC has employed 76,928 teachers in junior secondary, which represents 51.5% of the total requirement.
These are 39,550 junior secondary school teachers who were first recruited on internship terms but have since been confirmed.
8,378 P1 teachers who were deployed to JSS in 2023 and 2024 and 9,000 JSS teachers recruited on permanent and pensionable terms.
The government also allocated sh 4.8 billion which TSC used to recruit 20,000 JSS teachers on internship terms.
Macharia said TSC has so far retooled a total of 229,292 teachers on Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and Competency Based Assessment (CBA) since April 2019.
She said a total of 60,642 JSS teachers have been retooled from May 2023 to November 2024.
TSC plans to employ additional 18,000 JSS intern teachers in December to address the staffing gap.
The Commission is under pressure to address a looming teacher crisis in JSS as currently the teacher to class ratio is 1:1;
The Commission has been deploying P1 teachers since 2019 as a form of promotion after numerous complaints of stagnation from primary school teachers who upgraded their academic certificates.
In 2019, 2020 and 2021 a total of 1,000 P1 teachers were deployed each year to secondary schools while in 2022 to 2024 around 8,378 teachers were deployed to serve the first cohorts of the CBC in JSS.
The documents verification for shortlisted applicants will be done by the TSC Sub-County Director who will then issue the teacher with a deployment letter.
The Sub-County Director are under instruction to sign two deployment letters for each teacher.
One letter shall be issued to the teacher while the second original letter shall be submitted together with other deployment documents for filing at the headquarters.
The deployment will consider proximity to the current station. The teachers will be deployed to their current stations or those that are close to their current stations.
Other factors that shall be considered during the deployment will be subject combination, gender and SNE qualification where teachers with SNE qualification shall be posted to Special JSS.
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.
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.
