Commission now sets tough rules for hiring of 5,000 new tutors

The Teachers Service Commission has released stringent rules that will guide the ongoing recruitment of 5,000 tutors.

Persons with disability, older candidates and higher qualifications will be given top priority in the recruitment.

Successful candidates will report to work on October 28.

According to the guidelines, older candidates, especially those aged between 44-45 years, will be required to have teaching experience of at least three years to get priority.

They must also not have worked with TSC previously. Candidates who scored high aggregate grades in KCSE will also be at an advantage.

The rules further say that candidates who have previously been employed by the commission will not be considered.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia said all qualified teachers except those barred by the rules will have an equal chance in the recruitment process.

“All applicants irrespective of gender, disability or ethnicity should be given equal opportunity,” said Macharia.

According to the recruitment schedule, applications will be collected by TSC county directors starting today.

The teachers’ employer has scheduled the county selection process to start from September 2 to 13. The TSC head offices will start going through the applications beginning September 23.

Ms Macharia said some 4,000 new teachers will be recruited to join high schools. Another 1,000 will be picked from primary schools.

The 1,000 primary schools teachers to be promoted must have degrees, according to Macharia.

They must also have scored a mean grade of C+ in KCSE and a similar grade in two teaching subjects.

The recruitment process is based on points that a particular candidate must score to sail through.

Candidates who graduated in 2008 or earlier have been allocated more points, which means that they will stand a higher chance of grabbing the jobs.

University graduates with first class honours have been allocated 35 points.

Maximum points

Candidates with a second-class upper division will get 30 points and those with a ‘pass’ will get a maximum of 20 points.

Diploma graduates with distinctions will get 25 points while those with credits will get 20 points. Those with a ‘pass’ in their diploma will get 15 points.

There are more than 300,000 trained teachers who are yet to secure teaching jobs. Most of them graduated many years back.

Teachers with special talents such as music and leadership skills will also have an edge.

“Interested candidates should apply to secretary of the Board of Management of the school where the vacancy has been advertised and submit a copy to TSC,” said Macharia.