Why Kenyan Teachers Are Quitting TSC for US and UK Jobs
Teachers are reportedly leaving the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for more lucrative positions in first-world countries.
One teacher, during an interview with NTV on Sunday, shared that the salaries offered abroad were in six figures, significantly more than what they earned locally.
Felix Wanyaga noted that as a teacher in Kenya, one could only afford to build a small two-bedroom house and pay school fees for two children.
Another teacher expressed that changing promotion terms and poor infrastructure were driving tutors out of the teaching industry.
Silvia Wanjiru mentioned that promotions were previously based on merit but then stopped. She was told that to get a promotion, she had to go back to class, which she did reluctantly.
Reports indicate that teachers prefer jobs in the United States and the United Kingdom, which currently face a shortage of over 400,000 teachers.
These departures coincided with the government’s plan to hire 46,000 Junior Secondary School interns on a permanent and pensionable basis, which was put on hold.
Government Response and Budget Cuts
President William Ruto, on Wednesday, announced that his administration would initiate budget cuts after shelving the Finance Bill, 2024, entirely. The hiring of teachers is among the affected sectors.
In February this year, the government announced a plan to export teachers to foreign countries even as the unemployment rate across the country continues to rise.
The State Department for Diaspora Affairs highlighted that the Kenyan workforce was in demand abroad, with Kenyan teachers highly sought after.
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Around the same time, TSC introduced new hurdles for teachers seeking promotion in primary and secondary schools.
The government, through the Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill of 2024, announced that all tutors would be required to sit for a practicing certificate under continuous professional development programs.
This bill sought to amend the Teachers Service Commission Act of 2012.
Why Kenyan Teachers Are Quitting TSC for US and UK Jobs
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