Math Teachers Protest Exclusion from TSC Recruitment.
Qualified Maths teachers are raising concerns after being excluded from the recent recruitment by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for 20,000 intern positions.
According to teachers interviewed from various parts of the country, the TSC provided a clear score sheet for applicants specializing in science, language, and humanities subjects, but left Maths teachers out of these categories.
The teachers argued that Maths, a core STEM subject, should have been included among science subjects. With the application deadline approaching on November 4, the educators fear they may lose their chance to apply due to the current ambiguity regarding Maths.
Teachers questioned how the TSC classified Maths in the school curriculum, wondering if it was being excluded from the traditional STEM categorization.
They claimed TSC’s recruitment criteria seemed to disregard Maths as a significant subject, thereby eliminating Maths teachers from the pool of eligible candidates.
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One teacher voiced frustration over TSC’s apparent removal of Maths from the STEM subjects category, expressing doubts about TSC’s recruitment guidelines.
Recruitment Score Sheet Breakdown
Under the new TSC guidelines, specific subject teachers automatically receive different scores:
| Subject Area | Score |
|---|---|
| Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) | 65 |
| Technical and Creative Arts (e.g., Home Science, Computer Studies, Business Studies, Music) | 40 |
| Language (French, English, Kiswahili, German, Arabic, Mandarin) | 5 |
The score sheet indicates a clear preference for Science teachers, aligning with TSC’s stated priority for this group.
Additionally, age is considered in scoring, with candidates 50 years or older receiving an additional 10 marks, those between 45-49 receiving 9 marks, and progressively fewer marks for younger applicants. This criterion suggests TSC’s intent to employ older teachers before their retirement.
KUPPET Narok Branch Executive Secretary, Charles Ng’eno, confirmed awareness of the Maths teachers’ concerns, noting he had met with the Narok TSC Director to seek a resolution.
Ng’eno reported that they were advised to use official union channels to pursue the matter and indicated the union’s head office is now involved in seeking clarity.
TSC’s Silence on Issue
Efforts to gain official clarification from the TSC on the exclusion of Maths teachers have so far been unsuccessful.
A senior staffing department officer declined to comment and directed inquiries to Corporate Communications, where another unnamed officer redirected questions to the TSC CEO, citing lack of authorization to speak to the press.
Addressing Parliament recently, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia highlighted the shortage of Science teachers, asserting that this group would be prioritized in the upcoming recruitments.
ALSO READ: KUPPET Laments Unpaid Salaries for Narok Intern Teachers Since June
Macharia revealed that of the 314,117 unemployed teachers, many applied for just 46,000 available positions advertised on October 1, underscoring the employment crisis.
She expressed concern over the scarcity of applicants for Physics teaching positions, urging an evaluation of solutions to this growing issue.
Math Teachers Protest Exclusion from TSC Recruitment.
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