TSC is set to roll out the 3rd phase of teacher deployment targeting special schools and units to address critical shortages. This phase will be in June 2025 and is part of the ongoing process that started in September 2024 where 3,600 teachers trained in Special Needs Education (SNE) will be deployed.
Staffing Shortages in Special Schools
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia said Kenya has a shortage of 5,362 teachers in special needs schools. To address this TSC will be redeploying teachers from primary and secondary schools with SNE qualifications.
Macharia said the deployment will be done in phases due to budgetary constraints and will provide specialized support to learners with disabilities including hearing impairments (HI), visual impairments (VI), mental handicaps (MH), autism, cerebral palsy (CP) and deaf-blindness.
The deployment process will involve:
- Capturing teachers’ details such as TSC number, specialization and current school.
- Posting teachers to schools in line with their SNE training.
Deployment to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS)
In addition to SNE initiatives, TSC will deploy 6,000 P1 teachers to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in 2025. This is in response to 72,422 teacher deficit under Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) for Grades 7, 8 and 9.
JSS Deployment Requirements:
To be eligible for JSS deployment, teachers must:
- Be registered with TSC and employed.
- Have a Diploma or Degree in Education with a minimum grade of C+ at KCSE (or equivalent) in two teaching subjects.
- Produce academic certificates, original certificates, transcripts and payslips.
- Not have interdiction or disciplinary cases.
TSC noted that Bachelor of Education (Primary Option) holders are not eligible unless they have secondary school teaching qualifications.
Deployment History and Progress
Since 2019 TSC has been deploying teachers in phases to promote primary school teachers upgrading their qualifications. Highlights are:
- 1,000 teachers deployed annually from 2019 to 2021.
- 8,378 teachers deployed between 2022 and 2024 to support CBC implementation.
Dr. Macharia said TSC has employed 76,928 teachers in JSS, only 51.5% of the requirement, so there is an urgent need for more staffing.
Online Application Portal
TSC has opened an online application portal for teachers who want to be deployed to JSS or special schools. Teachers can input their TSC number, ID number and surname to apply.
Apply here:
Deployment Portal for Teachers
Stakeholders
TSC is working with Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to address teacher shortages while maintaining quality education. CS Education Julius Migos has said the government will staff schools progressively so that every child has a teacher.
This phased deployment is part of TSC’s efforts to address systemic challenges in the education sector in Kenya. With this approach, the Commission hopes to bridge the staffing gaps especially in special needs education and junior secondary schools so that all students have equal opportunities.