TTC Intake Freeze: Fresh Graduates Locked Out as TSC Battles Teacher Surplus

NAIROBI, Kenya — In a major policy shift aimed at curbing the surplus of primary school teachers, the Ministry of Education has effectively suspended the intake of fresh Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates into Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) for the current cycle.

The September 2026 intake for the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) will be strictly restricted to teachers currently holding a P1 Certificate who are seeking to upgrade to the diploma level (UDPTE).

Consequently, school leavers from the 2025 KCSE cohort will not be eligible for placement in primary teacher training programs this year.

Addressing the Surplus Crisis

The move follows long-standing concerns regarding an oversupply of primary educators in the job market.

With the transition to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and the consolidation of learning levels, the demand for primary teachers has diminished, while the surplus continues to grow.

Speaking on the challenges facing the sector, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Acting CEO, Ms. Evaleen Mitei, previously highlighted that the Commission is prioritizing the replacement of teachers exiting the service through retirement or resignation rather than undertaking large-scale recruitment at the primary level.

Recent data suggests an excess of over 18,000 primary school teachers, a gap exacerbated by the phasing out of the old 8-4-4 primary structure.

Advice to Prospective Candidates

The Ministry of Education, through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), is urging students who had set their sights on TTCs to remain calm and explore alternative professional paths.

“Education remains a critical pillar of national development, and there are many avenues for success,” officials noted during a recent stakeholder engagement. Students are encouraged to look toward the broader TVET sector—including National Polytechnics and Technical Training Institutes—which offer a diverse array of diploma and certificate programs that align with current labor market demands.

The Road Ahead

The intake freeze is part of a broader re-alignment of teacher education in Kenya. The TSC is currently in the process of finalizing major amendments to the Code of Regulations for Teachers. Key reforms under consideration include:

Lowering Entry Barriers for Junior Secondary: Proposals are being discussed to allow teachers with a KCSE mean grade of C (plain) and a C+ (plus) in at least one teaching subject to qualify for deployment to junior schools, provided they hold a diploma or degree.

Targeted Recruitment: Future hiring will be strictly calibrated to address specific shortages in Junior and Senior Secondary schools rather than general primary education.

While the suspension of TTC intake for the 2025 KCSE cohort is expected to last, educational experts view this as a necessary step to stabilize the workforce and ensure that training capacity matches the actual staffing needs of the country’s learning institutions.