27 Schools Miss Teachers as July TSC Recruits To Report on 1st September
More than 27 secondary schools are still yet to receive teachers for a various subject combinations after the Teachers Service Commission concluded the recruitment exercise.
At the moment, Kenya is having more than 300,000 trained but unemployed teachers who are just waiting until they get recruited to the Commission. For some subject combinations it can take even up to 5 or 6 years before they get employed.
It is a pale view from the outside since teachers are available but the Commission has limited vacancies every time they advertise.
With some of the subject combinations where teachers were not taken up being crucial in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) which is being implemented in all institutions of basic education. Learners are set to be admitted to junior secondary schools in the year 2023.
In a memo directed to County Directors of Education, TSC revealed that there were schools that did not receive any applications for advertised subject combinations. On the other hand, those who applied did not qualify.
The schools in question have since written to the Commission and requested consideration for alternative subject combinations, in the hope that they will get teachers for those subjects.
The subject combinations that have shortages of teachers include Home Science, Drawing and Design, Computer/History, Chemistry/Geography, Agriculture/History, Agriculture/Chemistry, Computer/Maths, Home Science/History, Home Science/Biology, Kiswahili/Mathematics, Music and Business/Agriculture combinations.
Some schools did not receive applicants for the subject combinations that they advertised. These schools comprise Ndururi Secondary in Laikipia County, St. Polycarp Meso in Trans-Nzoia, Sawagongo in Siaya, Tharaka Secondary in Tharaka-Nithi, Ngecho Secondary and St. Anthony Engoshura.
Besides, Bukolowe Mixed Secondary School, Friends Secondary, Gamalenga Secondary, St Angela Mumias, St. Thomas Amagoro Girls, Moding Secondary in Busia, Munda Secondary and Lwala Kadwa Mixed in Kisumu did not receive applicants.
Others like Ombeyi Secondary in Kisumu and Lake Elementaita in Nakuru receive only one applicant but none turned up for the interviews while St. Rita Ramula Girls in Kisumu had two applicants but none turned up.
Some schools did not call up any applicant as they did not qualify.
TSC had advertised for 8,914 teaching vacancies on June the 29th with 4,827 been allocated to secondary schools.
“The advertisement was approved on condition that there would be no changes in subject combinations,” said the Commission.
The Commission has now directed County Directors to use the existing merit lists to fill the vacancies that had been advertised.
However, in instances where there are no merit lists, County Directors have been instructed to advertise the vacancies again and then approve the changes in combinations if the listed strategies do not bear fruits in recruitment.
TSC CEO Dr Nancy Macharia wrote an advisory to University Education and Research Principal Secretary Simon Nabukwesi imploring him to ensure that universities begin teaching various subject combinations.
Some subject combinations like Home Science and Biology are crucial in the CBC as they are key in teaching Health Education as well as Social Studies (with Content on Citizenship) and sports and Physical Education (covering aspects of sports and health introduced in the learning areas).
The optional subjects include indigenous languages, visual arts, Kenya Sign Language and performing arts.
The TSC CEO revealed that these subject combinations shall be rolled out in Junior and senior secondary schools.
“The Commission is expected to project teacher demand levels and appropriate areas of focus that will inform the strategies for training and preparation of teachers who will be available and ready to handle the junior and secondary learning,” said Dr. Nancy Macharia.
Dr Nancy Macharia also revealed that the 8,914 teachers who were recruited in the last month shall report to their respective schools starting from Tuesday next week.
TSC’s initiative to automate the reporting system is meant to stop the delays in prcessing of the first salaries of teachers from three months to just a month.
This will surely be good news to new teachers.
“The newly recruited teachers are scheduled to report for duty with effect from September 1, 2021 in order to fast track onboarding of teachers, the Commission had developed entry and exit modules,” said Dr. Macharia.
Comments are closed.