TSC to Employ All 46,000 JSS Teachers This Year – President Ruto
President William Ruto has pledged that all Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers will be confirmed and placed under permanent and pensionable terms by the end of 2024.
He addressed this issue on Wednesday during the commissioning of the Kimuka Power Sub Station in Kajiado West, Kajiado County.
Despite the challenges posed by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, he affirmed that the grievances of JSS teachers would be resolved.
“I want to tell all our JSS teachers, despite all the challenges in the Finance Bill, we are going to make sure that we confirm all teachers under JSS before the end of this year so that they can teach knowing that as we agreed, they will serve under permanent and pensionable terms.”
Challenges and Government Response
During his speech, President Ruto acknowledged the complications arising from the Finance Bill but assured that all JSS teachers would be confirmed by year’s end, allowing them to serve with the security of permanent and pensionable terms.
This commitment comes in response to heightened concerns about the conditions faced by JSS teachers under the new competence-based curriculum (CBC).
In June, a JSS teachers’ strike led the Budget and Appropriation Committee to instruct the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to hire all JSS teachers currently on internships on permanent and pensionable terms.
The committee chairperson confirmed that sufficient funds had been allocated for this project in the 2024/2025 Financial Year. Nyoro, who is also the Kiharu Member of Parliament, directed the TSC to hire the 46,000 interns in the program.
Nyoro assured Parliament that there were enough resources to convert JSS interns to permanent and pensionable terms.
He expressed confidence that this could be done promptly after the financial budget passed, rather than waiting until January 2025. He urged the TSC to expedite the confirmation process.
Temporary Suspension of Additional Hiring
Adding to the current workforce, President Ruto temporarily suspended plans to hire 20,000 more teachers until next year to align the education sector. This decision followed a three-week protest by JSS intern teachers just before Madaraka Day.
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The intern teachers agreed to end their strike after signing a return-to-work formula on 1st June 2024. The agreement included the withdrawal of all show-cause letters issued to teachers for participating in the strike.
However, some JSS teachers refused to return to work, insisting they would only do so after being hired on permanent and pensionable terms.
TSC to Employ All 46,000 JSS Teachers This Year – President Ruto
