Two Year Internship Rule By TSC Receive Sharp Criticism
Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers are expressing their opposition to a new rule imposed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which now requires them to serve for two years as interns before being converted to permanent and pensionable positions.
This new policy marks a significant change from the previous practice where intern teachers were absorbed into permanent positions after serving for just one year.
The reason behind this shift can be attributed to the large number of intern teachers the TSC has recruited and the challenges posed by the country’s struggling economy. TSC announced that intern teachers will have to wait until 2025 to be confirmed on permanent terms, causing shock and disappointment among many of them.
During a session with the Education Committee in Parliament, TSC’s Director of Staffing, Antonina Lentoijoni, and TSC’s Director for Legal Affairs, Calvin Anyuor, confirmed that all 46,000 teachers employed as interns, covering primary, secondary, and junior secondary schools, will automatically transition to permanent and pensionable positions after serving for two years. The Commission emphasized that no teacher will be employed directly on permanent terms without completing the two-year internship period.
Two Year Internship Rule By TSC Receive Sharp Criticism
While TSC’s policy allows for a maximum internship period of two years, many intern teachers are demoralized by this change, primarily due to low pay that does not align with the rising cost of living. The Commission recruited 20,000 intern teachers in February, another 20,000 in August, and posted 1,995 intern teachers to schools in January 2022.
Additionally, contracts were renewed for 4,005 teachers whose one-year term ended in December 2021, resulting in a total of 46,000 intern teachers.
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TSC also plans to recruit an additional 20,000 intern teachers to assist with Grade 8 classes starting in January. Interns in primary schools receive a monthly stipend of Kshs. 15,000, while those in secondary schools receive Kshs. 20,000. However, secondary school interns face deductions of around Kshs. 3,000, while primary school interns lose around Kshs. 2,000 from their stipends.
