- TSC is reviewing qualification requirements that have prevented some upgraded P1 teachers from moving to junior schools.
- Teachers with a C (Plain) KCSE mean grade could benefit under proposed changes to registration requirements.
- The reforms come as the Commission widens its teacher pool to address staffing demands under CBE.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is reforming teacher qualification requirements in changes that could create new career opportunities for primary school teachers previously locked out of deployment to junior schools because of their KCSE grades.
Among those expected to benefit are serving P1 teachers who attained a KCSE mean grade of C (Plain) but subsequently upgraded their professional qualifications.
Under proposed amendments to Regulation 20 of the Code of Regulations for Teachers, a primary school teacher holding a Diploma in Education, with a KCSE mean grade of C (Plain) and at least C+ in one teaching subject, could qualify for registration and deployment to junior school.
The proposed changes represent a significant departure from the more restrictive qualification requirements that have prevented some experienced primary school teachers from moving to higher levels despite subsequently acquiring additional professional qualifications.
Previous requirements locked out teachers
Under earlier requirements, primary school teachers seeking deployment to junior school generally had to be qualified to teach at secondary level.
TSC’s May 2024 deployment guidelines required a minimum Diploma in Education, a KCSE mean grade of C+ and C+ in two teaching subjects. However, teachers with a KCSE mean grade of C (Plain) could qualify where they had undertaken a Diploma in Education together with a Bachelor of Education degree.
This meant that a teacher’s KCSE performance could continue affecting eligibility for deployment years after the teacher had acquired higher professional qualifications.
The Commission has subsequently been reviewing these requirements as it seeks to align teacher registration and deployment with the changing staffing demands created by Competency-Based Education (CBE).
In May 2026, TSC Acting Chief Executive Officer Evaleen Mitei told a stakeholders’ engagement forum at the Kenya Institute of Special Education that proposed amendments to Regulation 20 would review entry standards and academic qualifications for teacher registration.
The proposed changes include allowing teachers with a C (Plain) KCSE mean grade, Diploma in Education and C+ in at least one teaching subject to qualify for registration and deployment to junior school.
Single-subject teachers targeted
TSC has also moved to recognise teachers trained in a single teaching subject, another major departure from the traditional requirement for teachers to possess two teaching subjects.
Speaking during the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association conference in Mombasa in June, Mitei said the Commission had reviewed the framework governing teacher registration to accommodate teachers with one teaching subject, particularly in specialised learning areas where shortages exist.
The change is particularly significant under CBE, where increased subject specialisation has created demand for teachers in particular learning areas.
TSC’s existing published academic and professional requirements are anchored in Legal Notice No. 50 of 2016, which amended the Code of Regulations for Teachers.
P1 teachers increasingly tapped for junior school
The latest developments build on TSC’s continuing efforts to use qualified primary school teachers to address staffing requirements in junior schools.
In May 2024, for instance, the Commission received 1,206 requests from primary school teachers seeking deployment to junior schools and directed its regional, county and sub-county offices to vet qualified applicants.
TSC went further in August 2025 when it sought data on serving P1 teachers who could benefit from an upgrade programme intended to improve staffing in junior schools.
The exercise specifically sought P1 teachers with a KCSE mean grade of C (Plain) and C+ in at least two subjects, alongside another category comprising teachers with a C+ mean grade and C+ in at least two subjects. The programme was being developed with support from the World Bank.
The developments demonstrate the growing importance of serving primary school teachers as TSC seeks additional personnel capable of supporting CBE implementation.
For affected teachers, relaxing the academic barriers could create opportunities for career progression after years of service in primary schools and subsequent upgrading of their professional qualifications.
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However, the distinction between proposed qualification amendments, teacher registration and actual deployment remains important. Teachers should await formal TSC guidelines establishing the final qualifications and deployment procedures applicable to the new categories.
By Joseph Mambili
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