Intern teachers who have been on strike since schools reopened have won big in their battle with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The 26,000 Junior Secondary teachers will from July this year be converted into permanent and pensionable under the TSC. These teachers have been on contract since January 2023.

Once converted, their salaries will be raised to a basic salary of Sh. 36,621. They will also be entitled to receive allowances such as housing allowance that will range from Sh. 9,600 to Sh. 16,500 depending on their job locations.

Under the internship program that the TSC has been running, intern teachers in secondary schools have been earning Sh. 20,000 while their counterparts in primary level have been earning Sh. 15,000.

The intern teachers will be hired from July 1 after an earlier resolution to have the TSC hire them under these terms from January 2025 was dissolved and brought forward. According to the House Committee on Education and Research chairperson Julius Melly, Sh. 8.3 billion has already been released to fund the hiring of these teachers.

“Beginning in the next financial year, the Teachers Service Commission should streamline the recruitment process to ensure that resources assigned to this function are fully utilized,” Melly was quoted during his submissions to the Budget and Appropriations Committee.

“Further, the Commission should convert the 26,000 interns to permanent employment beginning July 2024 and not January 2025 as proposed.”

I earn Sh. 88,000 net; Sh. 82,000 goes to debts and am left with Sh. 6,000

Melly added that the interns will also get additional benefits in form of commuter allowances, leave allowance and the TSC health insurance scheme.

“The conversion of terms of service for intern teachers will boost their morale and is also an assurance of the government’s commitment in ensuring that all future interns are converted to permanent employment after they successfully complete their internship period,” said Mr. Melly.