TSC to issue PNP letters to 46,000 intern teachers in December

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will issue permanent and pensionable (PNP) letters of employment to a total of 46,000 teachers working under internship terms.

This is after the government on Monday announced an injection of over sh18 billion to the TSC for converting the intern teachers to PNP.

A communique from State House indicated that sh18.7 billion had been allocated for intern teachers confirmation.

TSC has on its payroll a total of 46,000 teachers serving on internship terms.

These are 21,550 junior school and 4,000 primary school intern teachers recruited in February 2023.

450 secondary school intern teachers recruited in April 2023. 18,000 junior school and 2,000 primary school intern teachers recruited in September 2023.

On Monday President William Ruto appended his signature to the Supplementary Appropriation (No. 2) Bill 2024 paving way for their confirmation.

“After the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 and the resulting revenue shortfall of Sh344 billion, President William Ruto has assented to the Supplementary Appropriation (No.2) Bill which includes adjustments to reduce expenditures while maintaining essential services in agriculture, health and education, including remuneration enhancements for security officers,” the communique reads.

However, the amount is short of the Sh30 billion TSC needs to pay the intern teachers under the new terms for a whole year until , July 2025, the next budget allocation.

TSC estimates the Sh18 billion budget provided for the conversion can only cater for the interns for a period of six months.

To avert a crisis, stakeholders privy to the situation disclosed that TSC is exploring delayed confirmation of interns so as to shrink the budget required to cater for their salaries.

Currently the intern teachers earn a monthly stipend of sh 20,000 for the junior and 15,000 for the primary school intern teachers.

However the teachers lose around sh 3,000 from their monthly stipend from deductions such as housing fund, NSSF and NHIF.

After confirmation the P1 teachers will start at job group B5 where they will earn a basic salary of sh 21,756 in minimum to a maximum of sh 27,195 after serving for three years.

The teachers will be entitled to sh 4,000 as commuter allowance and sh 4,000 as leave allowance paid once a year in January.

They will be entitled to a house allowance of sh 3,200 per month except those who live in Nairobi sh 6,750, those in major Municipalities; Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii and Kitale sh 4,500 and those in other former minor Municipalities sh 3,850.

Those working in hardship areas will get sh 6,600 as hardship allowance. The teachers will also get comprehensive medical cover paid through their monthly medical allowance.

The teachers will get automatic promotion to job group C1 after serving for three years.

The junior school intern teachers will start at job group C2 which is the entry grade for graduate teachers.

Here the teachers will earn a basic salary of sh 34,955 to a maximum of sh 43,694 after serving for three years.

The teachers will get sh 5,000 as commuter allowance and sh 6,000 as leave allowance paid once in a year.

They will be entitled to sh 7,500 as house allowance except those who live in Nairobi sh 16,500, those in major Municipalities; Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii and Kitale sh 12,800 and those in other former minor Municipalities sh 9,600.

Those working in hardship areas will get sh 10,900 as hardship allowance. The teachers will also get comprehensive medical cover paid through their monthly medical allowance.

The teachers will get automatic promotion to job group C3 after serving for three years.