TSC under pressure to explain delay in employment of interns

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) was yesterday taken to task to explain why there are delays in the employment of interns.

A document tabled in Parliament shows some counties have a higher number of teacher shortages than others.

This came on the day it emerged that the teacher shortage for both primary and secondary schools stand at 116,000.

Of the said number, the shortage in primary schools stands at 48,327 with 12 counties having the highest number.

The document showed that Kakamega, Kisumu and Kitui lead in the 12 counties with the highest numbers of teacher shortages. Kakamega has 6,129 primary teacher shortage followed by Kisumu (5,281), Kitui (4,504), Kilifi (2,580), Homa Bay (2,571), West Pokot (2,043), Narok (1,928), Bungoma (1,403), Mandera (1,353), Turkana (1,269), Bomet (1,152) and Wajir (1,045).

Counties with the least teacher shortfall include Kirinyaga (44), Lamu (46), Nyeri (105), Laikipia (211) and Embu (255).

Others with teacher shortages are Bomet 1,152, Elgeyo Marakwet (871), Busia (746), Baringo (669), Garissa (729), Nyandarua (754), Nandi (768), Nakuru (810), Meru (792) Marsabit (310) Migori (830) among others.

Appearing before National Assembly Education Committee, TSC Board Chair Jamleck Muturi and head of legal Cavin Anyuor explained that despite the teacher shortage, the National Treasury has since 2012 only been allocating money to only employ about 5,000 teachers.

“The distribution of teachers is based on budget allocation. This is the decision the commission has made. All through 2012, we have been given a budget for employing about 5,000 teachers. Even now we have only been given a budget of about 30,000 we still have a big challenge,”Anyuor said.

He added: “When we are doing recruitment, we always do this proportionate to the budget we have, we always look out at the counties with the highest shortage.”

But despite assurances that they are doing everything possible to bridge the said gap, MPs present sought to know why the commission had not made any deliberate effort to ensure that most counties affected are allocated more teachers.

Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara said it was disheartening that some counties have a shortage of teachers running into thousands yet the commission has not done enough to address this gap.

“You know there are shortages in the 12 counties and you have not even given us a breakdown of what you intend to do.  This issue of teacher shortages is a serious matter that ought to be addressed,” said Obara.