Special Needs Education (SNE) trained teachers in Kenya have called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to urgently include them in upcoming recruitment exercises, citing continued exclusion despite their growing importance in promoting inclusive education across the country.
In their appeal, the teachers expressed concern that recent recruitment drives have largely focused on regular teachers, leaving out SNE specialists even as schools continue to face a shortage of trained personnel to support learners with disabilities and special learning needs.
They argue that this gap undermines the national goal of achieving inclusive education for all learners.
The teachers are now requesting that TSC deliberately factor in SNE-trained educators in the next recruitment cycle.
They maintain that their training equips them with specialised skills needed to handle diverse learning challenges, particularly in integrated and special school environments where tailored instruction is essential.
They further note that SNE teachers are not limited to special schools alone, as many are also qualified to teach mainstream subjects such as Chemistry, Biology, English, and other secondary school disciplines.
According to them, this versatility makes them highly valuable in addressing staffing shortages in both special and regular schools.
In addition, the group is urging TSC to revise its recruitment scoring criteria to allocate specific marks for SNE qualifications.
They argue that the additional academic units, practical training and fieldwork undertaken during their studies should be formally recognised as part of the selection process.
The teachers also raise concerns about what they describe as the historical underrepresentation of SNE professionals in recruitment and staffing decisions.
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They believe that addressing this imbalance would strengthen Kenya’s commitment to inclusive education and improve learning outcomes for learners with special needs.
They conclude by expressing hope that their concerns will be considered and urge TSC to take deliberate steps toward fair representation and equitable recruitment in the teaching profession.
By Kithinji Njeru
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