TSC to hire 4,081 teachers to replace those who have left the service

NAKURU: The Teachers Service Commission plans hire 4081 teachers to replace those who have left the service through natural attrition and those who are due to retire in June.

Commission Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboin said 3705 teachers will be hired in primary schools while 376 will go to post-primary schools.

"Only teachers who are registered with the commission as per section 23 of the TSC Act no 20 of 2012 will be considered. Only those who are below 45 years old will also be considered," said Lengoiboin.

For those eyeing the primary schools, the secretary said allocations will be filled through the last recruitment exercise merit list.

"However for Lamu, Garissa, Mandera and Wajir Counties which have exhausted their merit lists, applicants should apply to the TSC County Directors afresh to generate a merit list," said Lengoiboin.

Unlike in the past where teachers used to retire at the end of the term, Lengoiboin said Treasury has demanded that they retire on their birth day.

"The commission had proposed that teachers retire at the end of the term for continuity but Treasury turned down this proposal and said that teachers should retire on their birthday. The replacement is meant to fill in these gaps so that learners are not disadvantaged a lot," said Lengoiboin.

Lengoiboin asked those interested to submit their applications to the TSC County Directors and school Board of Management (BOM) for primary and post-primary schools respectively before June the 15th.

He added that the commission will only deal with applications received by the TSC County Directors and board of management stating that individual applications to the commission headquarters will not be considered.

"We want to warn members of the public against fraudsters who will want to extort money from them in the pretext of assisting them get jobs," he said adding that the minimum requirement for primary teachers is a P1 certificate while those interested in post-primary institutions must be holders of at least Diploma in Education.

This comes just days after the commission said it is reconsidering recalling retired teachers back into the service in three North Eastern and other areas hit by insecurity.

The commission last week revealed plans to hire teachers on a three-year contract in these regions.

Lengoiboin said the commission is seeking to recruit trained teachers from the area including retired teachers to curb the education crisis occasioned by insecurity posed by Al Shabaab in the region and other Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) counties.

Over 800 teachers for primary and 350 for secondary did not go back to their schools in North Eastern Counties citing lack of security.

In an advertisement on The Standard dated May 29, the commission called on trained teachers who are over 45 years and have never secured employment opportunity with the commission to apply.