The education sector may be heading toward a disaster following disclosures by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) that it is grappling with a significant shortfall of 98,281 teachers.
The commission’s Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia announced yesterday that there was a shortage of qualified and trained teachers due to inadequate budget allocations for the same.
Speaking before the National Assembly Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, Macharia informed MPs that the lack of financial resources to hire teachers has resulted in a teacher shortage in public schools, thereby obstructing children’s right to obtain basic quality education as guaranteed by article 43 of the constitution.
“The current teachers’ deficit is 98,261, which includes Junior Secondary School (JSS) educators. However, this figure is expected to increase next year with the introduction of senior schools. TSC has not reached the optimal number of teachers since its inception, thus highlighting the necessity for more budget allocations,” she remarked.
The Committee also learned that this shortfall has created teaching gaps in the new learning areas brought in under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). These include subjects such as media technology, woodwork, jewelry and ornament creation, sculpture, leather craft, marine and fisheries technology, general science, and indigenous languages.
Simultaneously, the CEO expressed worry regarding the “widespread” establishment of new schools without an appropriate budget for teacher recruitment. She added that this has resulted in challenges such as schools sharing identical names and being located too closely to one another.
To address this, she suggested in her presentation, “Increase the budget for hiring teachers to fulfill the staffing requirements of the newly established schools. Enhance coordination among key stakeholders, including sponsors, investors, and politicians to ensure the planned establishment of new schools and the expansion of existing ones. ”
The committee, led by Runyenjes MP Karemba Muchangi, declared that a lack of funding has also impeded the appropriate promotion of teachers.
“As of December last year, only 200,022 teachers were eligible for promotion because they had spent three years or more in one grade, with others joining the teaching profession annually,” she explained.
This was in response to an inquiry from Tiaty MP William Kamket who questioned the recent promotion process and its criteria.
The topic of medical coverage for teachers was also raised, with MPs wanting to know why they could not access services and sometimes had to pay out of pocket.
Macharia, however, stated that once again, budget constraints were the culprit.
“Our commission needs about Sh54 billion for the scheme, but we are only allocated Sh20 billion. . . that is why sometimes when teachers go to hospitals, they may not receive services; it’s not that they lack coverage but because there is no budget provision,” she noted.
The MPs further expressed worries over the recent promotion of over 25,000 teachers by the commission, pointing out that in certain regions, new college graduates had been appointed well before those who had graduated several years ago.
“In Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALS) where there is a significant shortage of teachers, it is observed that since we hire based on local proximity, recent graduates apply and may find themselves on the payroll,” stated Macharia.
Committee chair Karemba instructed that the CEO provide a report on the distribution of teachers throughout the nation.
At the same time, the commission’s CEO faced allegations yesterday of relinquishing her authority over teacher appointments to politicians through the improper distribution of employment letters to them.
Macharia asserted that the claims were false and she had merely encountered them in the “news”.
“…I came across this in the news. If you visit our website, you will see the manner in which we conduct our recruitment. Nonetheless, I feel concerned because these issues tarnish TSC’s reputation very badly,” she remarked.
The issue was raised by Matungu MP Oscar Nabulindo, who inquired why cabinet secretaries have been handing out employment letters during political events.
Chairperson Karemba called for the correction of this situation.
“I think we are creating a very poor standard if the political class has to handle the recruitment of teachers. It is our responsibility to put an end to this problem. ”
TSC sounds the alarm regarding the severe teacher shortage in JSS and senior schools.