JSS Teachers to Extend Internship for Another Year as TSC Faces Budget Constraints
In a recent parliamentary session, it was announced that 20,000 junior secondary school (JSS) teachers, who began their one-year internship in January, will see their contracts extended for an additional year. This decision comes in light of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) not receiving the necessary funding in the 2025-2026 budget to transition these educators to permanent and pensionable positions.
Initially recruited in November of the previous year and assigned to schools in January, these teachers had high hopes of being confirmed in permanent roles once their contracts concluded in December. However, the government’s financial challenges have led to a significant reduction in the education budget by 62 billion shillings, making it difficult to meet these expectations.
In 2023, the government implemented a policy requiring interns across all government sectors to complete a two-year service period. This follows the TSC’s hiring of 46,000 teachers in 2022 on a one-year internship basis, who were later compelled to extend their contracts with the promise of confirmation after fulfilling the two-year requirement.
President Ruto had previously reassured the JSS intern teachers of job security upon the completion of their two-year commitment, especially after they staged a strike advocating for permanent employment status.
“It is now a government practice for the intern teachers to work for two years before they are employed on permanent and pensionable terms,” Ruto said at State House.
“The JSS intern teachers will be at work in January. We had promised that before being employed on permanent and pensionable terms, they must do an internship for two years.”
The Labour and Relations Court however declared TSC internship programme illegal.
It said the teachers are not interns but fully trained and registered teachers who should get same treatment as other teachers on pnp payroll.
In the 2025 – 2026 budget TSC has been allocated a total of sh 377 billion for teachers salaries and allowances.
Treasury also allocated TSC sh 7.2 billion for intern teachers stipend and employment of another 20,000 intern teachers.
Internship is a key programme that TSC uses to address staffing gaps in schools.
The Teacher Internship Programme is a one year programme meant to equip and sustain competencies of persons entering the teaching service.
The programme targets unemployed registered teachers to be assigned to learning institutions where their teaching experience will be enhanced through mentorship, coaching and exposure to practical teaching experience.
The internship period will be for twelve months though majority of the recent intern teachers have served for two years.
Teacher internship is not a remunerative engagement. However, interns attached to Junior Secondary schools will be eligible for a monthly stipend of Kshs. 20,000/=.
The stipend will be paid subject to statutory deductions like SHIF, Housing levy, and NSSF where applicable.
On successful completion of the Internship Programme, teacher interns will be awarded a certificate.
Intern teachers are also eligible to apply whenever TSC advertises permanent and pensionable teaching vacancies.
In this years scoresheet for recruitment of teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, TSC awarded 50 marks to teachers who served on internship terms regardless of the period served.
TSC has early this month advertised 2,014 replacement slots where a total of 673 slots are for secondary schools which JSS intern teachers can apply.
TSC called for interested and qualified candidates to submit their applications online through the APPLICATION LINK not later than Monday, 19th May 2025 Midnight.