Prospective applicants for teaching jobs get extension

Thousands of jobless teachers seeking employment have received a reprieve after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) extended the window for filing applications from December 16 to December 23.

Once the applications close, collection of employment forms by the County Directors will take place on December 28.

“Generation of applicants’ list, shortlisting by the County selection panel and invitation for interviews will take place between December 29 – January 5,” the TSC said in a revised teacher recruitment roadmap.

This will be followed by submission of lists of  shortlisted candidates to the TSC Regional Director by the County Director on January 6.

Submission of lists of shortlisted candidates to the TSC Headquarters by the TSC Regional Director on January 10 after which lists of shortlisted candidates will be published.

County recruitment process will take place for 10 days, which will run from January 13 – 23.

TSC has also indicated that vetting at county level, handling of complaints, signing of internship agreements, offer of internship letters and signing of offer of employment letters.

Newly recruited teachers will the report to schools on February 1. TSC has declared the capacity for all counties, with Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers being given a priority in this recruitment.

Among the counties with the highest declared capacity are Kitui with 1,475, Kakamega with 1,449, Nakuru with 1,223, Bungoma with 1,208, Meru with 1,120, Makueni with 1,056, Machakos with 1,050 and Kisii with 995.

Mixed reactions

The recruitment has elicited mixed reactions, with a section of legislators seeking involvement in the process.

TSC Secretary, Nancy Macharia was however firm that the recruitment is being undertaken in line with Commission’s practice and procedures and that Mps have no role in this.

Last week, TSC issued tough guidelines for recruitment of tutors for post-primary institutions in the 2022/2023 Financial Year.

Macharia said the selection panel will be required to exercise the highest degree of transparency and accountability.

According to Macharia, any application for employment form filled or offer of employment issued based on misleading information provided by the applicant will be cancelled immediately without any further reference to them.

“Applicants whose names differ in the academic and professional certificates or identification cards must present an affidavit, sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act, Cap 15 of the Laws of Kenya to explain the variance in names,” directed Macharia.

Recruitment drive

This came against the backdrop of heightened lobbying by Members of the National Assembly to have their constituents hired in this recruitment drive, amid fears of legislators hijacking the exercise.

Macharia said applicants whose training is in subjects currently not in the secondary school curriculum do not qualify, irrespective of having undertaken a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) or enhancement.

“This category includes but is not limited to Bachelor of Science /Bachelor of Arts in Natural Resources, Horticulture, Fisheries, Meteorology, Farm Machinery, Anthropology, Forestry, Sociology, Biotechnology, Animal Husbandry, Journalism, Theology or Divinity.

Applicants with Economics or Commerce or Accounting can apply for Business Studies.

Diploma Teachers with English or other subjects qualify for employment as teachers of English/Literature on condition that they have adequate units in both Language and Literature.

All applicants must have studied the two teaching subjects at KCSE except for Agriculture, Business Studies, Home Science, and Computer Studies.

Qualifications

For those who did not study Business Studies and Computer Studies, one should have attained a minimum of C+ (Plus) in Mathematics at KCSE. For those who did not study Agriculture and Home Science, one should have attained a minimum of C+ in Biology at KCSE.

“Graduate teachers should have studied a minimum of eight course units in each teaching subject. In addition, the teachers must have studied Special Methods in their two teaching subjects of choice together with a minimum of three months teaching practice,” Macharia explained.

Enhancement certificate(s) and transcripts will only apply where an applicant had not covered the minimum number of units during the degree or diploma programme.

TSC announced the over 30,000 vacancies to support the implementation of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). TSC seeks to hire 9,000 posts on permanent and pensionable terms of service for secondary school teachers and another 1,000 posts on permanent and pensionable terms of service for primary school teachers.

Another 21,550 posts for teacher Interns in Junior Secondary Schools and 4,000 for teacher interns in primary schools were also advertised.