Teachers Fail to Apply for TSC Vacancies In These Areas
The Teachers Service Commission has discovered that qualified unemployed instructors in North Eastern counties have been avoiding teaching openings in the region.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia testified on Tuesday before the National Assembly Education Committee that the Commission advertised 36,000 positions in December 2022 and hired 35,790 people.
However, 210 openings for intern teachers in the counties of Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa remain unfilled due to a lack of applications.
She said that 174 positions in Mandera, 29 in Wajir, and 7 in Garissa counties remain unfilled.
“The 210 vacancies were re-advertised in May 2023 but did not attract any applicants from the three regions,” stated Macharia.
“We have even spoken with the leaders, written to the governors, and made open announcements via newspapers and websites. Everything that needed to be done has been done.
The Committee had inquired as to why the posts were still unfilled despite the Commission running job advertisements.
According to Macharia, instructors are hesitant to accept internship positions in some places because of job insecurity and poor working conditions.
Over the years, the North Eastern region has been the target of numerous terrorist assaults, which have resulted in the deaths of several teachers and raised controversy regarding the delocalization programme.
The TSC started the delocalization policy in 2018, but it was abandoned in November 2022 after Titus Khamala, a Lurambi MP, submitted a proposal.
In order to prevent additional attacks on foreign teachers, the House then suggested that trained teachers from terror-prone regions be stationed inside of those regions.
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Insufficient budgetary provisions, according to Macharia, make it difficult for the Commission to hire enough instructors to close the gap.
To address the issue of instability in the North Eastern region, the MPs announced they would be calling Interior CS Kithure Kindiki.
“We must be ready to face this situation as a committee because it is one of significant importance. In order to address the issue of insecurity in North Eastern and ensure that teachers are protected, we need to convene the CS for internal security, the committee declared.
Because TSC might not have a way out, the Ministry of Internal Security can depress people, especially our instructors, over the subject of insecurity.
Macharia reaffirmed that the Commission has attempted to keep teachers in their preferred subcounty where vacancies occur in order to reduce relocation costs in order to address the issue.
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The CEO reiterated that anyone who wants to apply is welcome to do so.
However, in order to draw applications from the area, “The Commission has been extending deadlines on affirmative action as well as re-advertising the positions numerous times,” Macharia added.
“Everyone who needs to attend North Eastern must apply, agree to serve for three years, and other requirements.”
The Commission identified and assigned 8, 367 eligible primary school teachers to Junior Secondary Schools in order to further solve the teacher shortage there.
Macharia added that the application portal for JSS deployment is still open, and teachers who obtain the required credentials are welcome to apply and be deployed continuously.