Good news is on the horizon for junior secondary school (JSS) intern teachers! The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced that stipends for the 20,000 educators recruited under its one-year internship program will start flowing in February.
These teachers, who officially began their assignments on January 6, faced a slight hiccup in payments due to delayed submission of payroll paperwork by school heads.
At the same time, TSC is ironing out payroll adjustments for another group—46,000 teachers who recently transitioned from internship to permanent positions. While these teachers are set to enjoy improved salaries and leave allowances, the upgrades won’t reflect just yet, as the January payroll cycle is already closed. Expect those changes to kick in during the upcoming months.
TSC has urged school administrators to prioritize the timely submission of necessary documentation to avoid future delays. “Proper submission of casualty returns remains crucial for seamless salary processing,” the commission emphasized, signaling its commitment to streamlining such processes moving forward.
Junior secondary schools in Kenya are in the middle of a serious staffing crunch. To effectively educate students in Grades 7, 8, and 9, the institutions require a whopping 149,350 teachers. Right now, they’re managing with just 76,928—barely meeting 51.5% of that need.
Here’s how teacher deployment at the JSS level currently breaks down:
| Teacher Category | Number of Teachers |
|---|---|
| JSS Intern Teachers | 20,000 |
| Confirmed Internship Teachers | 39,550 |
| Deployed P1 Teachers | 8,378 |
| Permanent JSS Teachers | 9,000 |
To help ease the strain, TSC plans to deploy an additional 6,000 Primary Teacher Education (PTE) instructors to junior secondary schools by April. While it’s a step in the right direction, the gap is wide, and addressing it will take more than just quick fixes.
For those new JSS interns, February will bring another important milestone: specialized training for teaching the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). The focus will be particularly strong for teachers handling science subjects, ensuring they’re well-prepared for both CBC instruction and assessments.
This training is part of TSC’s ongoing teacher retooling program, which has been running since 2019. So far, nearly 230,000 Kenyan educators have been equipped with CBC teaching methods. Just last year, between May and November, over 60,000 JSS teachers received targeted skill upgrades to stay in step with modern educational demands.
This isn’t just about meeting today’s needs—it’s about preparing teachers for the classrooms of tomorrow.
The Teacher Internship Program is more than just a paycheck—it’s a chance for educators to gain hands-on classroom experience, mentorship, and professional coaching over a 12-month period.
At the JSS level, interns earn a KSh 20,000 monthly stipend. Of course, that amount is subject to statutory deductions like NHIF, the Housing Levy, and NSSF, so keep that in mind when planning your expenses.
Successful completion of the program comes with a certificate recognizing participants’ roles, and perhaps even more importantly, a competitive advantage. During recruitment for permanent teaching positions, these internship graduates are awarded an impressive 50 extra points.
Essentially, the experience gives them a leg up when applying to permanent and pensionable roles under TSC.
For instance, in TSC’s latest hiring drive, 46,000 permanent positions were filled, giving many former interns a chance to secure stable teaching jobs. Additionally, the commission advertised 8,707 replacement positions, reinforcing its ongoing commitment to career development for its educators.
With the teacher-to-class ratio stretched to its limits, the pressure on TSC to adequately staff JSS classrooms is immense. Internships, redeployment plans, and structured training programs are all part of the commission’s strategies to stabilize the education sector.
Still, the road ahead is challenging. Closing such a massive teacher gap and ensuring every student has access to quality instruction will require long-term planning, efficient policies, and maybe even a bit of bold thinking. For now, though, it’s encouraging to see steps being taken to support teachers at a time when they’re needed most.
