Yesterday, the Nancy Macharia led Teachers Service Commission (TSC) announced that it will recruit 10,300 intern teachers.
According to the commission, the recruitment will be bridging a gap in the education sector that had created an acute shortage of teachers in the country.
Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia invited those qualified to fill thr positions to send in their applications to the TSC by October 23.
A total of 4,300 will be deployed in primary schools while 6,000 will be sent to secondary schools. And will be paid sh10,000 directly from TSC.
This is the first time that the TSC is hiring interns in what is simply a stopgap measure to avert a learning crisis in public schools.
The commission was allocated Sh. 3.2 billion to plug the shortage and has already recruited 5,000 on permanent terms, a figure that is less than half the yearly demand of about 12,626 new teachers. The recruitment will cost the commission about Sh. 1.2 billion.
According to an advertisement to be published in today’s newspapers, the applicants should be 35 years or younger, must be registered with the TSC, be jobless and possess a minimum of a P1 certificate for those seeking primary posts, and a Diploma in Education for those joining secondary.
“They must also have a personal accident insurance to cover for personal risks during the 12-month internship period,” says Dr Macharia in the notice.
TSC has also set a tough conditions that these interns must be ready to be posted anywhere within Kenya.
Those hired for secondary schools will earn a stipend of Sh. 15,000 per month while those in primary schools will take home Sh. 10,000. The stipend will be subject to statutory deductions.
MPs early this year allowed the TSC to Hire Interns with a first batch provision allowance to recruit 87,393 interns to ease the shortage. Applicants are taking comfort that the TSC may absorb them into its official payroll once the internship is over.
