TSC to Recruit 20,000 Intern Teachers Next Month
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will address the current teacher shortage by hiring an additional 20,000 interns next month.
At least 20,000 unemployed teachers will be taken on as interns starting in July. This year’s budget has set aside 18 billion Shillings for transitioning intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms.
However, this allocation falls short of the 30 billion Shillings the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) requested to convert all 46,000 junior secondary school intern teachers to permanent and pensionable positions.
Molo MP Kimani Kuria noted that funds have been allocated for this purpose, aligning with the policy to transition teachers from internship to permanent and pensionable terms.
The Finance Committee of the National Assembly announced a significant development for over 40,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers, who will now be employed on permanent and pensionable terms.
The TSC sought to address the budget shortfall by employing the teachers in two batches. The first batch will consist of 26,000 teachers, for which the TSC required 16.6 billion Shillings to convert their intern posts to permanent employment.
With the allocated 18 billion Shillings, the TSC will successfully hire the first cohort of 26,000 interns on permanent and pensionable terms.
The fate of the remaining 20,000 interns remains uncertain, as the allocated funds will only suffice for the first batch.
In May, while appearing before Parliament, the TSC indicated that the 18 billion Shillings allocated would support the transition of the first cohort, but additional funds would be necessary to cover the remaining interns.
This announcement followed a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House.
The meeting took place just hours before the Finance Bill, 2024, was to be tabled in Parliament and amid protests called Occupy Parliament, which aimed to pressure the National Assembly to reject the bill.
In Our Other News: KCPA Advocates for Guidance and Counselling Education in Secondary School Curriculum
Kuria, the committee chairman, stated that Ksh18 billion had been allocated for the employment of the teachers, who had gone on strike last month to demand permanent positions.
Kuria mentioned that the PG was informed about the provision of adequate funds to employ all 46,000 Junior Secondary teachers currently working as interns.
This development represents a significant win for the JSS teachers and addresses the critical shortage of teachers in the education sector.
TSC to Recruit 20,000 Intern Teachers Next Month
Follow Teachers Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Get in touch with our editors at hello@teachersupdates.news.
