TSC to Hire 20000 JSS Teachers to Ease Shortage
TSC to Hire 20000 JSS Teachers to Ease Shortage
In order to alleviate severe staffing shortages in junior secondary schools, the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) plans to start hiring at least 20,000 new teachers. TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia acknowledged the gravity of the situation by revealing that these schools presently have 99,045 less instructors than there are currently (56,928 versus 99,045).
The need for teachers has increased as a result of the second Junior Secondary School (JSS) class starting and the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) pioneer class entering Grade 8. The hiring procedure won’t start at schools until July, though, as the extra teaching staff won’t be put to use right once.
Dr. Macharia emphasized the government’s commitment to progressively bridging the staffing gap, with the TSC seeking funds in the next financial year to hire the targeted 20,000 teachers. While primary schools currently have a surplus of 18,194 teachers due to a reduction in the number of classes with the introduction of the new curriculum, the TSC plans to redistribute these surplus teachers to address understaffing in certain schools, aiming to maintain a recommended teacher-learner ratio of 1:40.
Despite this effort, the shortage of teachers in junior secondary schools, exacerbated by the addition of Grade 8, has risen to 42,117 teachers. Intern teachers, employed to handle this grade last year, have raised concerns about poor terms, working conditions, and the government’s failure to fulfill promises of permanent employment, leading to a threat of non-resumption of duties this month. Additionally, the shortage is accompanied by a lack of teaching materials.
Positively, plans call for the promotion of 36,505 instructors to higher job categories, with 18,591 posts reserved for post-primary teachers and 17,514 opportunities for tutors in elementary schools.