- TSC concludes primary teacher promotion interviews as focus shifts to secondary schools
- The Teachers Service Commission has concluded Phase One promotion interviews for primary school teachers nationwide.
- Attention now turns to secondary teachers, TTC tutors and CSOs, whose interviews begin on September 17.
- The exercise forms part of TSC’s 2026 drive to fill more than 34,000 promotion vacancies.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has concluded promotion interviews for primary school teachers, marking the end of Phase One of the 2026 promotion cycle.
The interviews, which ended on Tuesday, September 15, were conducted across regional, county and sub-county centres, with reports indicating that the exercise proceeded smoothly in most centres.
Teachers were also commended for maintaining order during the process as the Commission handled a large number of candidates seeking advancement to higher grades.
The conclusion of the primary school phase now shifts attention to Phase Two, which targets teachers in secondary schools, Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) and Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs).
The second phase is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 17 and run until September 25, 2026.
Unlike the primary school interviews, which were largely handled by field directors, the second phase will be spearheaded by the Director of Staffing from TSC headquarters, working alongside regional, county and sub-county directors.
The arrangement reflects the seniority and administrative complexity of many of the positions being filled during the post-primary phase.
Reports on the operational roadmap indicate that regional and county-level panels will handle different categories depending on the seniority of the position, with the exercise involving secondary school administrators, TTC personnel and curriculum support officers.
The seven-day interview window will run from September 17 to September 25.
34,016 promotion vacancies
The interviews are part of one of TSC’s largest recent promotion exercises.
The Commission advertised 34,016 vacancies covering 30 different designations in primary schools, secondary schools, TTCs, Special Needs Education institutions and Curriculum Support Services.
The vacancies range from lower administrative grades to senior school and college leadership positions.
Among the largest categories is Senior Teacher II, T-Scale 7, for which the Commission listed 13,490 vacancies. According to TSC’s official promotion portal, applicants for the position are required to have served as Primary Teacher I, T-Scale 6, for at least three years, obtained a satisfactory performance appraisal rating and demonstrated supervisory and mentoring ability.
Other positions advertised by the Commission include senior leadership posts in secondary schools and TTCs. TSC’s official portal, for instance, lists vacancies for Deputy Principal I and Chief Principal positions in teacher training colleges among the 2026 promotion advertisements.
The vacancies were initially advertised in late July, with qualified teachers and CSOs invited to apply online in accordance with the Career Progression Guidelines.
TSC subsequently reopened a number of positions after some vacancies were not adequately filled during the initial application period. The Standard reported earlier this month that 1,631 positions were re-advertised, including 1,470 Deputy Headteacher II posts, 132 Deputy Principal III posts and 29 Senior Master I positions.
The ongoing exercise comes as pressure continues to mount on TSC to address career stagnation among teachers who have remained in the same grades for several years.
Promotion vacancies have consequently attracted intense interest as teachers seek progression into senior teaching, administrative and institutional leadership positions.
The Commission’s online system shows that the 2026 promotion advertisements remain under processing, with applicants able to track the different stages of recruitment through TSC’s digital platform.
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With primary school interviews now concluded, the September 17–25 exercise will bring the Commission closer to completing the interview stage before successful candidates are identified and promotion appointments processed.
By Joseph Mambili
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