Teachers Service Commission said yesterday  it requires at least Sh10 billion to finance critical programmes, which include recruitment and promotions of teachers.

In a presentation to the National Assembly  Committee on Education on consideration of the Budget Statement Policy, 2022, yesterday, TSC Secretary Nancy Macharia said the commission requires some Sh5.3 billion to recruit 8,000 teachers for the 100 per cent transition.

Macharia said the monies are part of the critical areas, which were not funded in the last budget.

“The commission would appreciate any facilitation for these areas to receive some allocation,” said  Macharia.

TSC boss also told the committee that it will require Sh1.2 billion to recruit 6,000 interns and another Sh2 billion for promotion of teachers on competitive selection.

For implementation of Teachers Performance Appraisal and Development and performance contract,  the TSC  boss said the agency is seeking Sh10 million

“Teacher mentorship and coaching programme requires an estimated Sh50 million while the roll out of a national Biometric Enrolment and Validation of tutors will be done at a cost of Sh342.4 million,” she said.

TSC wants facilitation of Sh600 million for gratuity to 3,358 contract teachers in the Northern frontier and construction of additional county office accommodation estimated at a cost of Sh183.6 million.

During the resource sharing at the Sector Working Group, the commission said it was allocated Sh295.9 billion for recurrent expenditure against a projected requirement of Sh310.5 billion.

On development expenditure, the allocation was 656.4 million against a projected requirement of Sh1.14 billion.

The commission also said priorities identified in the 2022/23 budget and the medium term were informed by the 2019-2023 strategic plan and the medium-term plan III of Vision 2030.

During the period, TSC had proposed to recruit 25,000 teachers, out of which 13,000 on permanent and pensionable terms and another 12,000 interns annually for the next three years.

“Commission proposed to train Grade Six and Seven teachers in readiness for 2023 when the first CBC cohort will transit to Junior Secondary at a cost Sh2.52 billion,” commission boss explained.

It also made a proposal to automate and integrate its systems for paperless operations at a cost of Sh335 million, roll out of national biometric enrollment and validation of teachers valued at Sh342.4 million but were not financed.

Pensionable terms

Despite the financing shortfall, the commission said that 15,000 additional teachers were recruited and deployed to support implementation of the 100 per cent transition to secondary school.

Commission further explains that some 5,000 teachers were employed in 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years respectively.

Similarly, TSC developed a framework for hiring teachers on internship and 28,300 were recruited.

In the 2019/2020, some 10,300 teacher interns were recruited while 12,000 and 6,000 were recruited in the 2020/21 and 2021/22  financial years respectively.

 “Competency-Based Curriculum was supported by training 229,000 teachers from 2019 to June last year,” TSC told the committee.