Why primary school teachers will not be hired for the next few years

Kakamega primary school headteacher Dickson Wanyangu instructed the grade 9 candidates of the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment to the institution on October 24,2025. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Thousands of unemployed primary school teachers have been dealt a major blow after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) announced it will not recruit teachers to the institutions, as they already have a surplus.

The commission now says its hiring focus will shift to junior and senior secondary schools, effectively locking out thousands of trained primary school teachers who had hoped to secure employment.