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| Kenya Education Reforms: 16,000 Intern Teachers Set for Recruitment by TSC |
President William Ruto has announced plans by the government to employ 16,000 intern teachers by January 2027, a move aimed at easing the long-standing teacher shortage in public schools and supporting the full implementation of the Competency-Based Education system.
The recruitment is expected to strengthen learning, especially in junior secondary schools where enrolment has increased significantly in recent years.
The President said the hiring process will be carried out in phases, with preparations beginning toward the end of 2026 to ensure schools are ready when the 2027 academic year opens.
Most of the intern teachers will be deployed to Grades 7, 8 and 9, levels that have been most affected by staffing gaps following the transition from primary to junior secondary education.
The Teachers Service Commission will be responsible for recruiting and deploying the interns once funds are approved through the national budget.
The exercise is part of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s wider plan to employ more than 100,000 teachers by 2027, a strategy intended to reduce overcrowded classrooms and relieve pressure on the existing teaching workforce.
Intern teachers are usually hired on fixed-term contracts, serving for about two years while gaining practical classroom experience and professional guidance.
After completing the internship, they may be considered for permanent and pensionable employment, depending on their performance and the availability of government funding.
The government maintains that the internship programme offers young teachers a structured entry into the profession while helping to maintain teaching standards.
Despite this, the programme has attracted concern from some intern teachers and unions, who argue that repeated contract renewals and delays in confirmation create uncertainty and financial hardship.
They have called for clearer timelines and firm commitments on absorption into permanent positions, warning that unresolved issues could affect morale and disrupt learning.
Education experts, however, say the planned recruitment is necessary, noting that the competency-based curriculum demands more attention to individual learners and continuous assessment.
They argue that without enough teachers, achieving quality education under the new system would be difficult.
As the country looks ahead to the next academic years, the planned employment of 16,000 intern teachers is expected to ease pressure on schools.
Stakeholders will be watching closely to see how the recruitment is implemented and whether the concerns of intern teachers are addressed in the process.
Kenya Education Reforms: 16,000 Intern Teachers Set for Recruitment by TSC