TSC Plans Mass Transfer Of Teachers Amid Staff Balancing Exercise

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is preparing to conduct a nationwide transfer of teachers in April as part of an ongoing staff balancing exercise aimed at addressing disparities in teacher distribution across schools.

According to TSC, the planned transfers will target institutions that are either overstaffed or severely understaffed. The move is intended to ensure that schools across the country have adequate teaching staff to support effective learning and improve delivery of the curriculum.

The exercise comes after TSC issued an advisory to teachers who wish to have their transfer requests approved once the process begins. TSC has urged teachers seeking transfers to ensure that their applications are properly submitted through the official channels to avoid delays or rejection.

TSC has already begun collecting crucial data from schools across the country to facilitate the process. It emerged that some institutions currently have more teachers than required while others are struggling with serious shortages.

In a memo sent to County and Sub County Directors in February, the Commission instructed Heads of Institutions (HOIs) to submit detailed information about their schools. The information is expected to help the Commission implement the Curriculum Based Establishment (CBE) framework in learning institutions.

The data requested from school heads included the name of the school, region, county, sub-county, IPPD code, school category such as regular primary school, student enrolment, number of male and female teachers, total classes available, number of surplus teachers and the number of teachers needed.

Additionally, school heads were required to indicate whether their schools are understaffed, overstaffed or adequately staffed. This information will be used by the Commission to create a transfer matrix that will guide the redistribution of teachers.

TSC plans to deploy excess teachers to schools facing shortages starting in April. Some of the transfers will be within the same sub-county while others may involve relocation to different sub-counties depending on staffing needs.

The Commission is also expected to prioritize teachers who have served in one station for a long period, as part of its policy of promoting fairness and ensuring balanced staffing in public schools.

Teachers who were previously delocalized have also been encouraged to submit transfer requests. Their applications will be reviewed and approved by Regional Directors who chair transfer panels in their respective regions.

The planned exercise comes amid calls by leaders to review the Commission’s transfer policy. In February, Ndindi Nyoro, the Member of Parliament for Kihara Constituency, urged the Commission to scrap the rule that bars teachers from applying for transfers before serving for at least five years in the same school.

According to the legislator, the policy should be amended to allow teachers more flexibility in seeking transfers immediately after employment.

“The policy of barring teachers from seeking transfers before five years of serving in the same school should be amended. All teachers should be free to seek transfers immediately they are employed,” said Nyoro.

TSC has however maintained that all transfer requests must be submitted through the newly introduced teacher transfer module. Applications made outside the system will not be processed.

The Commission phased out the old transfer system and introduced the new digital platform in August last year. The system was piloted for three months before being officially adopted in November.

In a circular announcing the rollout of the platform, TSC Acting Chief Executive Officer Eveleen Mitei said the new module would streamline the transfer process for teachers.

“The Commission will launch a pilot programme of the module to run for three months from 18^th August to 18^th November 2025. During this time, all teachers except Heads and Deputy Heads of Institutions will have access to the system for transfer and swap requests,” she said.

The new transfer system allows teachers in both primary and post-primary schools to apply for transfers and swaps online, making the process faster and more transparent.

Education stakeholders say the upcoming transfers are expected to significantly address teacher shortages in some regions while ensuring schools with excess staff maintain the required staffing levels.

Read Also: TSC, ODPP Announce 387 New Job Vacancies, Deadline And How To Apply