TSC Reveals 72,422 Teacher Shortage in Junior Secondary Ahead of School Reopening.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has identified a pressing need for 72,422 additional teachers to mitigate the shortage in junior secondary schools (JSS).
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia disclosed that 149,350 teachers are required to effectively manage Grades 7, 8, and 9, while the Commission currently has 76,928 teachers employed in JSS, meeting only 51.5% of the demand.
The current workforce includes 39,550 JSS teachers recruited on internship terms, 8,378 P1 teachers deployed to JSS, and 9,000 teachers engaged on permanent and pensionable terms.
Dr. Macharia stated that funds have been allocated by the government to convert the 39,550 JSS intern teachers to permanent terms starting January.
Additionally, TSC has utilized Ksh 4.8 billion to recruit 20,000 JSS teachers on internship terms, prioritizing science teachers to address critical shortages.
Retooling and Capacity Building
Since April 2019, TSC has retooled 229,292 teachers on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and Competency-Based Assessment (CBA).
Between May 2023 and November 2024, 60,642 JSS teachers underwent retooling to enhance their skills and competencies. These efforts aim to ensure the effective implementation of CBC in schools.
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The Commission faces mounting pressure to address the anticipated teacher crisis in January, as the current teacher-to-class ratio stands at 1:1. Plans are underway to deploy more Primary Teacher Education (PTE) graduates to JSS in the coming year.
Since 2019, TSC has been deploying P1 teachers as part of a promotion strategy to address complaints of career stagnation among primary school educators who upgraded their academic qualifications.
Between 2019 and 2021, 1,000 P1 teachers were deployed annually, while from 2022 to 2024, 8,378 teachers were allocated to the initial cohorts of CBC in JSS.
Eligibility and Deployment Criteria
Sources indicated that only teachers with a minimum KCSE mean grade of C+ and at least a C+ in two teaching subjects will qualify for deployment to JSS.
To further alleviate the shortage, TSC plans to redeploy excess secondary school teachers to JSS.
A directive was issued to register secondary school teachers employed since 2015 for potential deployment. School principals were required to submit the names of teachers employed from 2016 to TSC Sub County Directors by October 18, 2024.
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As the transition to CBC eliminates Form One classes in January 2025, many secondary school teachers will no longer have assigned classes.
TSC intends to deploy these teachers to nearby JSS institutions based on subject combinations, commonly referred to as subject clusters. This strategy aims to ensure an equitable distribution of teaching resources while addressing the staffing gaps in JSS.
TSC Reveals 72,422 Teacher Shortage in Junior Secondary Ahead of School Reopening
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