Teacher Shortage Persists as TSC Prepares to Hire 20,000 for Junior Secondary.
As Kenya readies Grade 9 learners for January 2025, the education sector grapples with a severe teacher shortage that persists despite recent recruitment plans. Junior secondary schools, particularly for Grades 7, 8, and 9, face critical understaffing issues, even as government efforts aim to ease the burden. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has recognized junior secondary as the most severely understaffed level, highlighting a need for qualified teachers to meet the growing demands of this segment.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia recently informed the National Assembly Education Committee that TSC has secured funds to hire 20,000 teachers on contract for junior secondary schools. This boost will raise the total number of teachers in junior schools to approximately 76,928 across 20,000 institutions. However, the move translates to only one additional teacher per school, a stark contrast to the 216,000 teachers in primary and 125,000 in secondary schools.
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Despite these efforts, teacher shortages still pose a substantial challenge. Currently, over 400,000 trained teachers remain jobless, highlighting a gap that the current recruitment cannot entirely bridge. Macharia noted that science teachers are especially scarce, with an oversupply of arts graduates, and pledged to provide detailed data on subject-specific staffing.
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At a recent event, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba shared the ministry’s approach to alleviate these challenges. He emphasized that the government aims to fill the 20,000-teacher deficit by early 2025 through retooling initiatives. In areas with critical shortages, the ministry has undertaken to retrain teachers who lack specific qualifications to prepare them for Grade 9. Additionally, Ogamba confirmed that all teachers currently on contract since last year will be transitioned to permanent roles, creating more stability for educators and learners alike.
Although efforts are underway to ease the teacher shortage, many schools still lack the staffing required to support learners fully. With junior secondary enrollment increasing, the need for effective recruitment, targeted retooling, and permanent hiring becomes ever more pressing. As a result, Kenya’s education system will benefit greatly from sustained focus and funding to ensure junior secondary learners receive quality education.
Teacher Shortage Persists as TSC Prepares to Hire 20,000 for Junior Secondary.
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