The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has issued guidelines for the recruitment of 1,995 intern teachers.
The commission also announced the extension of contracts for serving interns for another year.
In a circular to all regional directors, TSC director of staffing Rita Wahome said successful applicants will be part of the 6,000 interns expected in schools from January to December 2022.
“The remaining 4,005 posts will be filled by the serving teacher interns recruited in 2021 who were not absorbed into the permanent and pensionable terms of service as advertised in the previous recruitments. Details of the distribution of the posts are available in the TSC website,” Ms Wahome said.
She said recruitment guidelines have been reviewed, with interns living with disabilities being assessed using a separate score.
Regional directors will be required to generate new merit lists for the 2021/2022 financial year from the system-generated lists after verification of documents.
Of the 1995 posts, 1,038 are for primary schools while 957 interns will be posted to secondary schools.
To ensure there is transparency, Ms Wahome said, all candidates must come from the system-generated lists.
The lists should also be provided to members of the public who wish to see them on request but in a manner that will not jeopardize the recruitment.
Interested candidates must have original examination results, their names must appear in the graduation lists and must have all relevant original documents.
Ms Wahome said county directors will be required to liaise with county commissioners for provision of security during interviews.
“There have been instances of invited applicants being chased away from interview venues and the recruitment being disrupted,” she said.
The director of staffing said, unlike in the past, no successful applicant will be allowed to sign the internship agreement or be issued with offer of internship letter before his/her eligibility is ascertained.
Candidates are required to apply by September 27 while regional directors must send the system-generated lists of applicants to TSC headquarters by Monday, October 18.
“It is only after clearance at the headquarters and vetting at the county level that the applicant will be called upon to sign the internship agreement and be issued with the offer of internship letter,” she said.
On extension of internship contracts for serving interns, Ms Wahome said this affects those who were not absorbed in the recently-concluded recruitment under permanent and pensionable terms of service in July, 2021.
However, she said those who terminated their internship service are ineligible for extension.
“County directors are expected to confirm that all teacher interns in the list provided are eligible for internship contract extension before issuance of internship extension letter,” she said.
Interns attached to primary schools will receive a monthly stipend of Sh15,000 while those in secondary schools will get a monthly stipend of Sh20, 000.
The one-year internship programme is meant to equip and sustain competencies of those entering teaching service.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary-General Akelo Misori welcomed the move and asked those who qualify to apply.
Mr Misori said the recruitment of interns and the advantage they get from TSC when seeking permanent and pensionable jobs should be supported.
“Although several issues have been raised over the advantage the intern teachers receive, you cannot compare them with someone who has refused to apply for internship to continue working in other places,” he said.
The recruitment is meant to solve the acute shortage of teachers in schools as the government continues to implement the 100 per cent transition policy.
