- Under the Medium-Term Plan III of the Vision 2030, the government empowered TSC to recruit 5,000 teachers annually to alleviate teacher shortage.
- “There is need to engage the National Assembly to appropriate adequate funds for recruitment of additional teachers,” the report stated.
Image: ENOS TECHE
Teacher shortage in primary and secondary schools stands at 99,213, the 2021 Annual Report of the Teachers Service Commission has shown.
The report, which has been presented to the National Assembly, said the figure represented 44,134 and 55,079 teachers for primary and secondary schools respectively.
Under the Medium-Term Plan III of the Vision 2030, the government empowered TSC to recruit 5,000 teachers annually to alleviate teacher shortage.
“Despite these efforts, the demand for teachers has not been met due to financial constraints.
“There is need to engage the National Assembly to appropriate adequate funds for recruitment of additional teachers to alleviate the shortage,” the report stated.
TSC intends to lobby Parliament to provide funds for recruitment of additional teachers.
The commission however, said its budget allocation had been increased compared to the previous financial year.
During the year under review, the total annual budget of the commission increased from Sh256.1 billion in 2019-2020 to Sh275.5 billion in 2020-2021.
“This enabled the commission to undertake major projects such as recruitment of additional teachers, implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and training of teachers on Competency Based Curriculum,” it said.
TSC is also planning to develop mechanisms to enforce teaching standards, forge partnerships and collaborations and embark on awareness creation among teachers on professionalism and integrity.
The commission is mandated to register trained teachers; recruit and employ registered teachers; assign teachers employed for service; promote and transfer teachers and exercise disciplinary control over teachers.
Also, review standards of education and training of persons entering the teaching service; review the demand and supply of teachers and advise the national government on matters relating to the teaching profession.
During the year under review, the commission also undertook to strengthen the integrated support systems and structures to improve efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness to customer needs at all levels.
“Towards this end, an additional 58,000 teachers’ files were captured electronically making 205,00 files accessible digitally,” the report said.
The commission however said it faced several shortcomings in ensuring only registered teachers offer their services in schools.
The Constitution and the TSC Act (2012) stipulates that no person shall be engaged on the teaching service unless they are registered by the commission.
The commission said it would develop a robust mechanism to enforce registration of all those involved in teaching, particularly in private institutions.
During the period, the commission signed a recognition agreement with with the Kenya Union of Special Education Teachers.
It also developed a flexible working arrangement policy, risk analysis and automated key functions to expand the scope of access of its services.
In an effort to support the implementation of CBC, the commission trained 131,275 master trainers, trainer of trainers and teachers.
During the period, 42,795 teachers were registered. In addition, 13,124 teachers were employed by the commission and 6,705 teachers were posted, transferred or deployed in different stations.
Some 8,124 exited service through natural attrition, while a further, 12,000 intern teachers were hired.
Also, 115,110 teachers were promoted through a competitive process, affirmative action and common cadre establishment, the report said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)