The Teacher Service Commission has asked applications to fill 6,674 vacancies for intern teachers to in primary and secondary schools.
The intern teachers will support the bulging numbers in schools, which has caused congestion in classrooms and boarding facilities.
TSC in an advertisement in local dailies said 1,998 tutors will be attached to primary schools, while 4,676 will teach in secondary schools.
The teachers will be part of the economic stimulus package promised by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the Seventh Presidential Address on Covid-19.
Those in primary school will get a monthly stipend of Sh15,000 while those in secondary institutions will receive Sh20, 000. The candidates will serve for one year and on completion, they will receive an internship certificate.
To qualify, one must be a Kenyan citizen, be a holder of at least a Diploma in Education and be a registered teacher with TSC.
The commission requires Sh17 billion to hire 26,000 teachers to manage high school enrolment under the 100 per cent transition.
It also needs Sh8.1 billion annually to hire 12,500 teachers to plug the normal shortage.
In the current financial year, TSC received a budget of Sh2.5 billion to employ 5,000 teachers. Under the Economic Stimulus Programme, the commission was allocated a further Sh2.4 billion to engage 12,000 interns.
As part of schools reopening plans, TSC said it will train 118,000 teachers next month on the Competency Based Curriculum at a cost of Sh1 billion.
Last year, the commission trained 339,752 teachers under the CBC at a cost of Sh400 million. Of these, 113 223 teachers — 22, 417 of them from private schools — were trained in April.
In August, 105,030 teachers were trained, 21,495 of them from private schools. The training is aimed at ensuring successful implementation of the new curriculum. Commission data shows some 460 teachers have already been interviewed and will get promotion letters soon.
During the committee last month, members expressed concern over the duration some deputy principals have served as acting head teachers and asked TSC to determine a maximum period for such cases.
The MPs proposed the need to develop a policy on the promotion of teachers who have attained the required qualifications to head institutions.
