Government to spend Ksh.33B to employ 50,000 teachers

The government is set to recruit 50,784 teachers over the next four years to cater for the anticipated increase in student enrollment from next month, when the free day learning programme will be rolled out.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO, Nancy Macharia, on Monday said the commission had asked for 12,696 teachers to be recruited annually for the next four years in addition to the 5,000 it hires every year.

The recruitment is estimated to cost the government Ksh.8.3 billion annually, with the total cost coming to Ksh.33.2 billion over the four-year period.

“We have therefore as a commission requested for additional 12,696 teachers for the 100% orientation to succeed. And the government is working on this. And these teachers will be in addition to recruitment done every year,” said Ms Macharia at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in Nairobi during the launch of Form One selection.

The expected recruitment of 12,696 tutors annually in addition to the current rate of employing 5,000 teachers every year, will see the taxpayer spend Ksh.42.4 billion in four years time.

Speaking at the same event, Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the government will review its budget for education to have more funds devoted to the employment of more teachers, especially in secondary schools.

“We are going to singularly focus on the teacher-student ratio, especially for secondary education. We are also exploring new ways of supporting principals and school boards so that they can acquire more teachers. We will seek your suggestions on whatever proposals we come up with,” said Dr Matiang’i.

A majority of the new teachers, Matiang’i said, will be posted to county schools, which will enrol about 63 per cent of all candidates who sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam this year.

The schools will also be given funds to upgrade their infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the nearly one million 2018 Form One students will receive six textbooks for the six core-subjects: Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Physics, Biology and Chemistry. This will be in line with a government project to distribute standardised textbooks to all secondary schools.

“A child in Sigalame Secondary school will now have the same book as the child in Alliance or Mang’u High at the same time. We will push this policy forward and we will not backtrack on it,” said Dr. Matiang’i.

Once the distribution of the textbooks begins, Dr. Matiang’i said schools will not be eligible to receive funds for books as the free secondary education programme is rolled out. 

While the centralised procurement system of textbooks is set to upset publishers, sources at the ministry indicated that the government could save Ksh.13 billion.