This article is a summary of some TSC registration rules. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is the body in charge of employing teachers in Kenya.

The commission has changed its registration rules for new teachers. TSC will now only register teachers after they complete their internship programs.

Previously, the TSC had not made it mandatory for teachers to undertake internship programs before being registered.

“The Commission is proposing that the internship program be a prerequisite for teacher registration,” reads a draft proposal by TSC for the sessional paper on Education Reforms 2019.

According to the draft, graduate teachers must be issued with a teaching certificate and registration certificate after completing the internship program at the assigned school.

Reasons For the TSC Registration Changes

According to a report that appeared in the Daily Nation this week, the TSC registration rules aim to tame tutors who abandon teaching on graduation only to turn up during recruitment exercises.

“Members of National Assembly’s Education Committee recently in a meeting TSC raised concerns over teachers who were only appearing during interviews.

TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia promised to re-look at the policy of teachers being employed based on when they graduated and age,” says the report.

Employment Without TSC Number

Currently, the TSC Act states that a teacher can only teach after being registered.

“Institutions that employ unregistered teachers are guilty of an offense and liable to a fine of not less than Sh. 100, 000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both,” says the report in the Daily Nation.

Addressing the Shortage of Teachers

The report in the Daily Nation goes on as follows:

In its new strategic plan, 2019-2023, TSC has indicated that it requires Ksh 82 billion to recruit teachers in the next five years.

This will enable it to address the biting teacher shortage in schools, currently estimated at 100,000, which is likely to rise to about 120,000 by 2023 unless the number and pace of teacher recruitment are increased.

Due to the shortage, schools have been forced to employ their teachers, which means an additional burden on parents. In total, there are 80,000 teachers employed by school boards of management.

Presently, TSC estimates an overall teacher shortage of 96,345 – 38,054 at the primary school and 58,291 at the post-primary school levels.

According to the strategic plan, TSC had 317,069 teachers on its payroll as last June, and they deployed to 30,892 public educational institutions in the country.

A total of about 317,000 teachers are currently trained but are yet to be employed by TSC.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), which has opposed the program, is now supporting the recruitment of intern teachers to address the shortage being witnessed in the country.

The Education Committee has also supported the proposal, and TSC is set to develop a policy framework on recruiting interns who will be paid.

Admission of Trainees With Low Grades

Close to 3,265 teachers trainees were admitted to teachers training colleges with lower grades in October 2018. The trainees will now have to look for alternative courses after the Ministry reverted to the older entry grade.

However, the Senate Education Committee now wants the government to compensate for the trainees.

The Committee chairman Christopher Langat (Bomet) said it’s unfair for the government to keep the students in college for two terms and send them packing.

“Parents invested in school fees for their children, and the government must refund the cash and provide alternative courses to these students,” said Dr. Langat.

Former Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed agreed to withdraw Legal Notice No118 of 2018, which had lowered the minimum admission requirements for a diploma and certificate entry to D (plain) for a certificate, C-(minus) for Diploma, and C+ (plus) for the degree.

After the TSC sued her, insisting that it was only the commission under the law could lower entry grade to teachers training colleges.

The TSC board has made it easier for teachers to get employment and has also improved the Kenyan education system. Follow Bizna Kenya for more information on TSC and general Kenyan news.