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Irene Githinji @gitshee

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will  hire 5,000 teachers starting next month.

Some 6,000 intern teachers will also be recruited in the 2021/22 financial year.

TSC chairperson Nancy Macharia yesterday said the additional employees would ease teachers’ workload as enrollment rises, particularly due to the government’s 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school policy.

In the 2021/22 Financial Year, the National Treasury allocated TSC Sh2.5 billion for the recruitment of 5,000 teachers.

“We appreciate the government for allocating TSC funds annually for the recruitment of additional teachers since the 100 per cent transition programme was launched,” said Macharia (pictured) during the release of Form One selection results in Nairobi yesterday.

Quality learning

She said the positions will be advertised next month and urged qualified teachers to apply. 

Macharia said the next recruitment will bring the total number of teachers hired since 2018 to facilitate the 100 per cent transition policy to 28,700.

It will also increase number of teachers under TSC employment from 330,671 to 335,671, she disclosed.

TSC will also recruit 6,000 intern teachers at a cost of Sh1.2 billion, the chairperson said.

“This is a commendable government effort to ensure quality learning and teaching in our public schools,” said Macharia.

Regarding the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with teachers’ unions which expires next month,  the TSC chairperson lauded the government for consistently releasing annual tranches of the Sh54 billion to implement it.

She said that the CBA had helped to make the salaries of teachers comparable to that of their peers in the public and private sectors not only in Kenya but also in the region. 

Macharia said the commission had started preparing the ground for a new CBA in 2019 when it initiated talks with trade unions. 

The talks, she said, had sensitised teachers on the new requirements for the salary increase negotiations.

“The unions have also presented proposals to us, which we have studied. 

“We are now awaiting advice from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on the best way to proceed based on an ongoing job evaluation,” she said.

She urged teachers to remain calm as the commission awaits SRC’s recommendations.