TSC CEO Nancy Macharia/FILE
The Teachers Service Commission has activated its online application portal and invited qualified primary school teachers who wish to be deployed to junior secondary schools to apply.
The commission says the applications should be submitted via https://tsconline.tsc.go.ke/tsc-teacher/login.
TSC said only teachers serving under permanent and pensionable terms in public primary schools and meet the requisite qualifications should apply.
To be eligible, the commission says one must be serving as a primary school teacher employed by TSC.
They must also have attained Mean Grade C+ at KCSE and a minimum C+ in each of the two cluster subjects that align with the JSS curriculum.
The deployment comes with a number of benefits, including but not limited to better remuneration and opportunity to grow, as well as offering teaching experiences in a dynamic and evolving education system.
To apply, visit the TSC online application portal and lo in with your TSC number and password.
Navigate to the “Deployment to JSS” section, then fill in your details and upload the required documents.
Submit your application before the deadline indicated.
The deployment slots are limited to 6,000 vacancies as the TSC seeks to bridge a 72,422 teacher deficit in Junior schools across the country.
The massive teacher shortfall was partly addressed by the transition to Grade 9 of the pioneer cohort of the competency-based Curriculum this January.
The phased deployment comes as the commission finds itself under pressure to guarantee a smooth learning experience for learners and stop the escalation of teacher shortages in Junior schools.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia said earlier this year that the commission currently has 76,928 teachers employed in Junior schools, accounting for only 51.5 per cent of the total workforce required.
The number includes 9,000 teachers who were hired directly on permanent and pensionable terms; 8,378 P1 teachers deployed in the last two years and 39,550 teachers who were initially recruited as interns and later absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms.
Macharia said the commission requires a total of 149,350 teachers to handle Grade 7, 8 and 9.
As part of government’s broader strategy to address teacher shortage in Junior schools, the government has also allocated Sh4.8 billion to support the recruitment and deployment of 20,000 JSS teachers on internship terms, starting this January.
The intern teachers will undergo retooling sessions in preparation for their new roles, TSC said.
Between May 2023 and November 2024, a total of 60,642 teachers have been trained specifically for JSS subjects.