The Ministry of Education, MoE has admitted that there is shortage of teachers to handle some learning areas in the Senior School as from nest year.
This was said by the Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba who revealed that subjects with teacher shortages include pre-technical studies, various vocational and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, home science art and craft music, and social studies.
He added that the ministry has a teacher shortage in basic education institutions at 137,500 despite the massive recruitment that the government has carried out over the last three years.
“The shortage is acute in specialised subjects such as social studies, integrated science, pre-technical studies and various vocational and STEM fields. This underscores the urgent need for expanded and targeted teacher training programmes, especially at the diploma and degree levels. To address these gaps and support Kenya’s curriculum reforms,” said the CS. He was speaking in Mombasa during an education conference organised by the Ministry of Education.
According to a report from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), junior school faces a staffing deficit status of 72,422 teachers, while senior school short of 65,070. The commission manages a workforce of 431,831 teachers, but there are an additional 369,430 who are registered but not on its payroll.
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Data from the ministry shows increasing enrolment in teacher training institutions, but a mismatch between supply and demand persists. Public diploma teacher training colleges have a combined capacity of approximately 49,000 for primary and secondary teacher training.
Universities have also expanded their education programmes, with more than 183,000 students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programmes, predominantly in arts (57.1 percent) and science (29.3 percent). However, postgraduate enrollment remains low, highlighting the need to enhance pathways for advanced training and specialisation.
With just three months remaining before the first cohort of Competency-Based Education (CBE) learners transitions to senior school in January next year, the government remains at the verge of making a conclusive decision to make the onset of Senior School a success.
By Juma Ndigo
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