TSC In Progress To Deploy PTE Teachers To Junior Secondary Schools

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has commenced the deployment of practicing Primary Teachers Education PTE, teachers to secondary schools.

The TSC will promote graduate teachers from primary schools to teach in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) as part of addressing the current shortage. The commission said that it is currently collecting applications from qualified teachers before mapping out where they would be posted.

This comes after TSC officials engaged the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT). The Commission announced that all 30,550 newly employed teachers had reported to the JSS for the first term.

In the last one-week, public schools have been hit by an acute shortage of teachers as thousands of students transitioned from primary school to JSS. TSC CEO Nancy Macharia admitted that there was a shortage of teachers in JSS but was quick to add that the government was looking into the issue

She said that the commission was using its portal to collect applications from graduate teachers currently working in primary schools.

“We shall use the data collected to transfer the qualified teachers from primary schools to junior secondary schools once we are done with the mapping,” she said.

Macharia added that the recently recruited teachers had reported to the Junior Secondary School terming the current shortage as ‘teething challenges’ during the transition. The CEO was addressing the press at Sawela Lodge in Naivasha after meeting members of the Senate committee on education.

Requirements For Application For Deployment

1. At least a C+ (Plus) mean grade at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) or its equivalent
2. At least grade C+ (Plus) in the two teaching subjects at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) or its equivalent
3. At least 8 Units in each of the two teaching subjects
4. Must be serving as a primary school teacher under TSC

TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia revisited the issue of delocalization adding that over 14,000 teachers had been affected adding that TSC had considered the issue of equity during the transfers. On his part, the chairman of the Senate committee Joseph Nyuthu termed the shortage of teachers in JSS as worrying and challenged the State to intervene.

The Murang’a Senator noted that the issue could get worse next year when the second cohort of students joined JSS where there was already a crisis.

“The government should move fast and hire more teachers in JSS as this crisis could worsen come next year when more students join junior secondary schools,” he said.

He said the Senate would push for an allocation of Sh2B for every county every financial year to deal with the issue of ECDE and Vocational Training Centres. TSC uses deployment as a form of promotion for primary school teachers, who have furthered their studies.

Related Content: List Of Compulsory and Optional Subjects In Junior Secondary School