TSC Circular on Contract Termination for  Internships

TSC Circular on Contract Termination for Internships

TSC Circular on Contract Termination for Internships

School administrators have been instructed  by the Teachers Service Commission  (TSC) to visit intern instructors in  elementary and secondary schools  and inquire  about their readiness to extend their  contracts.

According to a TSC document, academic institutions should work with interns who  want to extend their contracts until January 31, 2025, as long as they do so until  January 1, 2024.

To facilitate this process, schools are required to use a provided template to share intern details. By 4:00 p.m. on December 7, 2023, they must submit the information to the TSC Sub-County Director along with a copy of their personal accident insurance.

This decision comes in response to protests by certain intern teachers at junior secondary schools (JSS) opposing the renewal of their contracts. These interns argue that a one-year internship is sufficient and are advocating for permanent employment and pension benefits after completing a year of service.

But according to TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia, financial restrictions force a 2025  delay in the switch to permanent terms. She made it clear that TSC does not have the funding to provide pensions and  permanent jobs to the 46,000 intern teachers that are now employed. These teachers might be integrated into permanent roles as early as 2025,  depending on when they were hired.

Dr. Macharia reaffirmed TSC’s commitment to extending the current intern teachers’ contracts, starting in January 2024. She emphasized that after fulfilling two years of service, the 46,000 intern teachers in elementary and secondary schools will automatically convert to permanent and pensionable status.

With TSC hiring 20,000 intern instructors in February and another 20,000 in August of the current year, along with the renewal of 4,005 teachers’ contracts and the posting of 1,995 intern teachers to schools in January 2022, the total number of intern teachers stands at 46,000.

Interns in elementary schools receive a monthly salary of Kshs. 15,000, while secondary school interns receive Kshs. 20,000. However, Kshs. 3,000 is deducted from secondary school interns’ stipends, and Kshs. 2,000 is deducted from primary school interns’ stipends.

Notably, JSS intern teachers are presently staging protests in a number of locations  against having their contracts extended by one year.

Additionally, they are pushing for a revision to the stipend, asking that it be increased  from the present Kshs. 20,000 per month in Meru and Kisii counties to at least  Kshs. 25,000 per month.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Instructors (Kuppet) threatened to go on strike in  January if the TSC did not give these instructors permanent and pensionable status.