Kenya Women Teachers Association Urges Government to Increase TSC Budget for Teacher Recruitment
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) reported receiving over 314,000 applications for 46,000 teacher positions during the recent recruitment drive. TSC CEO Nancy Macharia disclosed this information to the Parliamentary Education Committee, highlighting a significant demand for teachers in the country.
Among the applications, 93,646 were for primary school positions, competing for just 6,000 slots. The junior secondary school (JSS) sector saw 144,177 applications for 39,550 advertised posts, while 76,294 candidates applied for the 450 secondary school teaching roles.
In light of these figures, Benter Opande, CEO of the Kenya Women Teachers Association, welcomed the recruitment initiative but urged the government to increase the TSC’s budget. She argued that enhancing funding is essential to address the critical teacher-student ratio in Kenyan schools, which currently falls short of recommended standards. According to the Basic Education Statistical Booklet 2020, the ideal teacher-student ratio is 1:25 for pre-primary, 1:40 for primary, and 1:35 for secondary education. However, some areas face alarming ratios of up to 1:70.
Opande emphasized that improving these ratios is vital for enhancing educational quality. She also stressed the need for ongoing teacher training, particularly in ICT, to support innovative teaching methods and ensure the success of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
She concluded by calling for government action to improve school infrastructure and seek partnerships that will ensure the sustainability of the CBC program, underscoring the urgent need for systemic improvements in the education sector.
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