• Shortage stands at 87,393, majorly at the secondary level due to the 100 per cent transition directive.
• TSC says another Sh1.2 billion has been set aside to recruit an extra 3,000 teachers.
The government will employ 8,000 teachers this year to address the shortage, the Teachers Service Commission has said.
Commission CEO Nancy Macharia on Wednesday said the government has set aside Sh2.5 billion to employ an additional 5,000 teachers.
“The government has also set aside another Sh1.2 billion to employ an extra 3,000 teachers,” Macharia said.
She was addressing the 44th conference of Kenya Secondary School Heads Association at the Kenya School of Revenue Administration in Mombasa.
The government said the success of the 100 per cent transition programme has exacerbated the country’s teacher shortage because of the spike in the number of students enrolling in secondary schools.
Currently, the shortage stands at 87,393, majorly at the secondary level.
Macharia said that on average, each school has a shortage of 12 teachers.
Principals said schools have shortages of up to 20 teachers.
“I have taken the challenge and we are working to ensure we improve the teacher-student ratio,” Macharia said.
She said the commission is in negotiations with Parliament and the National Treasury to get the funds needed to employ more teachers.
Last year, the government employed 8,700 teachers.
In February, another 5,000 teachers were employed, according to the CEO.
Kessha chairman Indimuli Kahi said though the CBC rollout is ongoing, the government has to address some of the teething challenges including the infrastructural deficiencies.
Macharia said the vacancies will be advertised in the next two weeks depending on the outcome of the budgeting process.
“Priority will be given to schools with the biggest shortage,” the CEO said.
However, she cautioned principals against giving the commission false data to unfairly get an advantage in the deployment of teachers.
“Can we be given the correct statistics? Let us be sensitive because the resources are limited,” she said.
Edited by R.Wamochie