Government and Policy

60,000 Teachers Decline Transfers To Teach In JSS, Here’s Why

BY Getrude Mathayo · July 25, 2023 12:07 pm

KEY POINTS

The Number of teachers who hold certificates is popularly referred to as P1 (primary teacher education). There are at least 152,839 certificate holders but they do not qualify to teach in junior secondary.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The document also reveals that only 8,367 teachers from primary school had moved to teach in the newly established Junior Secondary Schools. This is despite some 68,671 primary school teachers being qualified to teach in junior school.

At least 60,000 primary school teachers have declined the promotion of teaching in Junior Secondary Schools, JSS.

According to the document to the National Assembly Committee on Education dated July 11^th, the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, says the portal for teachers wishing to migrate from primary to secondary school is open and that it will continue recruitment on a rolling basis.

“The portal for application for deployment to Junior School is still vacant and teachers who acquire the necessary qualifications are free to apply and be deployed on a continuous basis,” the document reads.

TSC added that it has observed primary school teachers were not willing to be transferred to teach in Junior Secondary Schools as the new role comes with little or no benefit. The minimum qualification for deployment to JSS is a diploma in Education.

So far, TSC has employed 30,000 teachers in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) but is struggling to find teachers in some parts of the country.

According to Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, there are 2,047 teachers with master’s and doctorate degrees. Some 27,324 teachers have bachelor’s degrees while 39,300 have diplomas.

The document is part of responses by the teachers’ employer to the National Assembly Committee on Education dated July 11.

“Our analysis has revealed that a sizable number of teachers beyond the grade of C2, especially deputies and headteachers of primary schools, did not apply for deployment to Junior Secondary School since they are already in higher job groups as there was no extra motivation,” the document reads.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary general Collins Oyuu said while on paper junior school is poised as an advancement in learning areas and the workload, the same cannot be said when it comes to compensating teachers.

Oyuu added that the absence of compensation to reflect the complexity of handling junior school makes the positions unattractive.

“If a teacher will earn the same amount of money, they get but get a heavier workload and teach a more complex level they would rather not move,” Oyuu said.

TSC said that any teacher willing to join junior school has a chance to do that.

Junior Secondary School students take 12 compulsory subjects; which are English, Mathematics, Pre-technical studies, Kiswahili, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Business Studies, Agriculture, Religious Education, Health Education, Sports and Physical Education, and Life Skills Education.