Massive Teachers Shortage Hits 98,261 Amid Deep Flaws in TSC Hiring.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has alerted the nation of a growing teacher shortage, currently standing at 98,261, which includes vacancies in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).
The commission attributed this crisis to insufficient budget allocations that hinder the recruitment of adequate teaching staff. The number is expected to increase in the coming year with the introduction of senior schools.
The TSC emphasized that the budgetary shortfall is undermining access to quality education, a right protected under Article 43 of the Constitution. The teacher shortage threatens the successful rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), particularly as students prepare to transition to Grade Nine.
The commission revealed that some CBC subjects, such as sculpture, leather craft, woodwork, picture making, marine and fisheries technology, jewellery and ornament making, general science, indigenous languages, and media technology, are being taught without qualified instructors.
Despite reaching out to universities and teacher training colleges to address this gap, the TSC has yet to receive feedback. The commission also informed the national government of the need to train teachers in these new subjects, but progress remains stalled.
Distribution Concerns and Regional Disparities
Members of Parliament confronted the TSC over what they described as poor teacher distribution across the country. Despite financial constraints, lawmakers argued that the unequal deployment of teachers has left some schools critically understaffed while others have more teachers than needed.
They expressed concern that qualified teachers who graduated as far back as 2009 remain unemployed, while recent graduates have already secured jobs.
The commission clarified that it operates under the delocalisation policy approved by Parliament, and that redistribution responsibilities fall under county and sub-county education directors. Nevertheless, lawmakers demanded a detailed report on current teacher deployment to assess the fairness and effectiveness of the system.
The TSC was also scrutinized over recruitment practices and the alleged politicization of teacher hiring. Legislators criticized the issuance of employment letters by senior government officials and Members of Parliament during public events, questioning whether the TSC had relinquished its constitutional recruitment mandate.
One lawmaker noted that even Cabinet Secretaries had been seen handing out these letters, creating a perception of favoritism. Concerns were raised about the fairness of this practice, especially to long-serving private school teachers who had not benefited from government employment.
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Allegations of Political Influence in Hiring
Recent revelations indicated that Members of Parliament aligned with the government were handed TSC employment letters to distribute in their constituencies. An MP disclosed that during a visit to State House, she and ten colleagues from Kiambu each received twenty appointment letters, totaling 220. She asserted that MPs who failed to attend missed the chance to secure teaching positions for their constituents.
Lawmakers argued that such actions not only compromised the TSC’s independence but also set a damaging precedent, creating inequality in the teacher employment process. The committee requested the TSC to provide a full account of the teacher shortage and the current deployment status to better evaluate ongoing challenges and formulate appropriate solutions.
Massive Teachers Shortage Hits 98,261 Amid Deep Flaws in TSC Hiring
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