Junior Secondary School, (JSS) intern teachers have been dealt a major blow after the Teachers Service Commission issued a new circular extending their internship contracts for another year, dashing widespread hopes of confirmation into permanent and pensionable terms.
The announcement, contained in a circular dated November 27, 2025, reveals that all serving JSS interns will continue under internship from 1st January 2026 to December 31, 2026, a decision that has triggered frustration among thousands of young teachers who had expected this year to mark a turning point in their careers.
For many of these interns, the news has been difficult to absorb. After dedicating long hours in crowded classrooms, navigating curriculum changes, and carrying heavy workloads since the rollout of JSS, the expectation was that their commitment and service would finally be rewarded with job security.
Instead, the extension signals another year of uncertainty, modest stipends, and the constant struggle to make ends meet. Many had anticipated that the Commission would convert the internship positions into permanent and pensionable jobs, a move that would provide stability and hope for long-term growth. The circular, however, makes it clear that the internship structure will remain intact for yet another year.
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TSC justifies the extension as a necessary step to ensure a seamless transition as the current contracts lapse on 31st December 2025. The Commission instructs county officials to immediately issue extension offers and ensure that interns either accept or decline the renewed terms, emphasizing the need to avoid disruptions in learning when schools reopen in January.
While this administrative reasoning aims to maintain continuity in classrooms across the country, the emotional and economic realities for interns tell a different story.
Behind the policy language lies the weight of personal struggles. Many interns have been living on limited stipends that hardly match the rising cost of living, all while shouldering the responsibility of shaping young learners in the formative years of the competency-based curriculum.
With the new extension, they are once again required to sign fresh acceptance forms, submit personal accident cover, and brace themselves for another year without medical insurance, pension benefits, or the job security they have been yearning for.
The circular also directs counties to prepare lists, submit summaries of acceptances and declines, and propose replacements for those who opt out of the internship.
This has raised fresh concerns that interns who decline the extension out of frustration may find themselves edged out of the system altogether, replaced by new recruits from the waiting merit lists.
As January 2026 approaches, the mood among JSS interns is a blend of disappointment, resignation, and rising anxiety. What was supposed to be a year of breakthrough has now become another cycle of waiting. With no clear path toward permanent absorption laid out in the latest communication, interns across the country are left hoping that the next directive from the Commission will finally offer the recognition and security they have long sought.
For now, the extension stands as a stark reminder that the journey to confirmation for JSS interns remains uncertain — and far from over.
By Philip Koech
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