Jobs open up for 70,000 teachers

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) chairman Lydia Nzomo (left) with Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia at a press conference at the TSC head office in Nairobi on September 5, 2015. The TSC has advertised positions for 70,000 relief tutors. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • In an advertisement in today’s daily newspapers, the Teachers Service Commission says it intends to recruit 50,000 primary and 20,000 secondary school teachers on a three-month contract.
  • Counties that require more than 2,500 teachers are Bungoma (2,542), Homa Bay (2,715), Kakamega (2,863), Kitui (2,964), Migori (2,583) and Nakuru (2,533).
  • Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Wilson Sossion asked the union’s branch secretaries to ensure that the headteachers and principals do not cooperate in the recruitment.

The fate of the striking teachers hangs in the balance after their employer revealed that it intends to recruit 70,000 relief tutors.

In an advertisement in today’s daily newspapers, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) says it intends to recruit 50,000 primary and 20,000 secondary school teachers on a three-month contract.

The deadline for submitting applications is next Monday and applications should be submitted through county directors of education.

“The teachers will be considered for employment on permanent terms when vacancies arise,” TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia says.

The 70,000 teachers will join around 45,000 others who are teaching. The commission has 288,000 teachers on its payroll. School administrators, heads, their deputies and senior teachers have been on duty, as they do not take part in strikes.

The employer is looking for candidates aged below 45 years and who must be registered teachers.

“All should submit their applications to the TSC county directors in their home counties not later than October 5, 2015,” says Ms Macharia

DO NOT COOPERATE
Those seeking jobs in primary schools must be holders of a P1 certificate, and for secondary schools, they must have at least a diploma in education.

Counties that require more than 2,500 teachers are Bungoma (2,542), Homa Bay (2,715), Kakamega (2,863), Kitui (2,964), Migori (2,583) and Nakuru (2,533).

Applicants have been asked not to apply to more than one station or they would be disqualified.

And reacting to this new development, Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion asked the union’s branch secretaries to ensure that the head teachers and the principals do not cooperate in the recruitment.

“If the Teachers Service Commission wants to employ 70,000 more teachers in addition to the 288,000 they have, we do not have a problem with that otherwise, they should stop trying to evade paying the 50 to 60 per cent pay rise,” Mr Sossion said.

He asked teachers not to apply. “The commission will treat you the same way they are treating the striking teachers,” Mr Sossion said.

NO VICTIMISATION

Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers Union (Kuppet) Secretary-General Akelo Misori said that recruiting teachers on such a short notice was not feasible.

“This will not solve the problem we have in the country,” Mr Misori said.

On Friday, students in public schools got a short-lived relief when Labour Court Judge Nelson Abuodha directed the two unions to suspend the strike and meet TSC for talks.

Judge Abuodha asked the teachers to consider the interests of the children in public schools and go back to class immediately but the unions refused.

The judge also ordered the employer not to victimise the teachers.

The commission had said that it would not pay September salaries to striking teachers and asked its county officials to get details of teachers who have been going to work.

ORAL TESTS UNDER WAY
After the ruling, the government announced schools would reopen on Monday and close on November 20 but many students did not go to school.

Only the Standard Eight and Form Four candidates are in school, with the latter already doing their oral tests, organised by the Kenya National Examinations Council.

Knut and Kuppet have asked the commission to drop its case against them pending in court before they meet for talks.

Justice Abuodha directed that the employer and the unions assist the Labour Cabinet secretary to appoint a neutral conciliator or conciliation committee within 30 days.