TSC postpones recruitment of 20,000 intern teachers to 2025

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has postponed recruitment of 20,000 teachers on internship terms that was scheduled to happen in October this year.

TSC was forced to postpone the exercise after a briefing from Treasury that it will not be possible to get funds to hire the teachers this year.

The Commission will recruit 18,000 junior secondary and 2,000 primary school intern teachers for a two year contract inline with the current internship policy.

TSC has however turned to secondary school teachers to address teacher shortage in junior secondary schools (JSS).

The Commission has started deployment of 25,000 secondary school teachers to JSS in an exercise to be concluded by early January next year ahead of Grade 9 class.

Principal Secretary (PS) for Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, revealed that 56,000 teachers have so far been recruited for the success of the Competency Based Assessment (CBC).

Kipsang said that the government is building 18,000 classrooms to accommodate Grade 9 learners in January next year.

He said 11,000 classes are being developed with support from development partners while 7,000 classes are being built through CDF.

He said the government is fully committed to the success of CBC and is working with all partners to put in place the necessary infrastructure.

Kipsang said all plans were also in place to ensure smooth transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10 in 2026.

TSC is currently in a process to confirm to permanent and pensionable terms a total 46,000 teachers serving on internship terms.

The Commission has been allocated sh 18.7 billion for the exercise. The conversion will however happen in January 2025.

Documents verification for the intern teachers is currently ongoing at sub county level. Only an ID card is required for verification of serving intern teachers.

The teachers will fill employment forms to complete the application process. They will then be issued with employment and appointment letters in January 2025.

The Teacher Internship Programme is a one year programme meant to equip and sustain competencies of persons entering the teaching service.

The programme targets unemployed registered teachers to be assigned to learning institutions where their teaching experience will be enhanced through mentorship, coaching and exposure to practical teaching experience.

Application for TSC internship is always strictly done online.

To be eligible to serve as intern in primary school one must be a holder of a PTE or DPTE certificate and is registered with TSC.

Those in junior school must have at least a Diploma and C+ in KCSE with C+ in two teaching subjects. They must also be registered with TSC.

During verification/ interviews, applicants shall be required to produce the following: –

i) A copy of Teacher Registration Certificate/print-out from TSC online portal as evidence of registration as a teacher;

ii) A copy of National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPWD) card (where applicable);

iii) A copy of the National Identity Card (ID) or Passport;

iv) Two (2) colour passport size photographs;

v) A copy of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) card;

vi) A copy of Kenya Revenue Authority Personal Identification Number (KRA PIN).

Interns attached to primary schools will earn a monthly stipend of sh 15,000 while those in junior school will get sh 20,000.

On successful completion of the Internship Programme, teacher interns will be awarded an internship certificate which will carry some marks during their confirmation to permanent terms.

During this year advert for recruitment of 46,000 teachers on permanent terms, TSC awarded serving intern teachers 50 marks for their services.