TSC Begins Retooling of 20,000 JSS Intern Teachers on CBC and CBA

TSC Begins Retooling of 20,000 JSS Intern Teachers on CBC and CBA.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has initiated the retooling process for junior secondary school (JSS) teachers recently hired under its internship program.

The 20,000 interns, employed for one year at a cost of Ksh 4.8 billion, have commenced training on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) in their respective sub-counties.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nancy Macharia highlighted the acute teacher shortage affecting JSS. She stated that while 149,350 teachers are required to adequately handle Grades 7, 8, and 9, the Commission has only employed 76,928, meeting just 51.5% of the requirement. This leaves a gap of 72,422 teachers.

The recently recruited interns, who reported to schools on January 6, 2025, will play a critical role in implementing the CBC as Grade 8 learners transition to Grade 9 this year. Dr. Macharia reiterated the importance of this training in equipping teachers to manage the curriculum’s demands effectively.

STEM Teachers in Focus

The retooling initiative, primarily organized by the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), targets teachers specializing in STEM subjects. Priority during recruitment was given to candidates with science subject combinations due to the nationwide shortage of science teachers.

Dr. Macharia noted that despite over 400,000 unemployed teachers in the country, recruiting science teachers remains a challenge.

She emphasized that many JSS schools lack adequate staffing in science disciplines, and applications for these positions are minimal. TSC data shows that arts teachers significantly outnumber their science counterparts.

Dr. Macharia expressed concerns about the limited number of applications for subjects like Physics and called for immediate action to address this imbalance.

Since April 2019, TSC has retooled 229,292 teachers on CBC and CBA, including 60,642 JSS teachers trained between May 2023 and November 2024. This latest training phase aims to further strengthen the capacity of educators in STEM-related areas.

In preparation for the training, a circular dated January 16, 2025, instructed TSC County Directors to register STEM teachers online. CEMASTEA, now a department within the Ministry of Education, requested data on teachers handling Mathematics, Integrated Science, Pre-Technical Studies, and Agriculture and Nutrition in Grades 7 to 9.

Read Also: KNEC Calls for Fresh Registration of Grade 6 Candidates on KPSEA Portal

Circular Details

The circular, Ref No: CEM/STEM/VOL.IV/002, addressed to all CTCDC Chairpersons, outlined the following:

• The purpose of gathering data was to update the database for the 2025 training program.
• Teachers were directed to provide their information via a Google Form accessible through the provided link.
• CTCDC was tasked with ensuring the link reached the relevant teachers, with submissions due by the close of business on January 24, 2025.
• Only teachers assigned to STEM subjects were to participate in the registration process.

Jacinta Akatsa, the Chief Executive Officer of CEMASTEA, thanked stakeholders for their continued support in enhancing STEM education.

TSC Begins Retooling of 20,000 JSS Intern Teachers on CBC and CBA

Follow Teachers Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Get in touch with our editors at [email protected].