TSC allocates one teacher per class for Grade 7

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has assigned a single teacher to each junior secondary class. Primary schools will be allocated teachers based on the number of Grade 7 classes they have.

According to TSC legal officer, Cavin Anyuor, there are 30,550 Grade 7 classes across the nation. Since January, the TSC has assigned one teacher per class.

“If the county has 1,000 classes we have allocated 1,000 teachers,” Anyuor said. Additionally, Anyuor mentioned that the teacher allocation is determined by the budget provided by the Treasury.

TSC chair Jamleck Muturi said the commission will retool primary school teachers. “TSC will redistribute teachers who are in primary school who have qualified to teach in junior secondary,” he said.

JSS was introduced in December 2017 under the Competence Based Curriculum and focuses on learners’ competencies and skills rather than just content knowledge. Grade 7 acts as an intermediary stage between primary and secondary schools, catering to learners aged 12 to 14 years.

Currently, there is uncertainty as JSS intern teachers hold protests demanding TSC employs them on permanent and pensionable terms. Currently, the intern teachers are hired on an annual contract basis.