The future of more than 20,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers hangs in the balance as their contract run out in December 2025, raising concerns about a looming staffing crisis in public schools.
Despite repeated assurances, the government did not allocate funds for their confirmation to permanent and pensionable (PNP) terms in the 2025/2026 financial year budget.
This omission has sparked anxiety among educators, parents, and stakeholders in the education sector, who warn that failure to absorb the teachers, will cripple the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“The JSS programme heavily relies on these intern teachers, particularly for science and technical subjects. Without their confirmation, thousands of Grade 8 and incoming Grade 9 learners could be left without educators in key learning areas, jeopardizing academic progress and CBC delivery.” One stakeholder said
Education experts caution that the situation may escalate into a national crisis if urgent measures are not taken.
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“If these teachers are not confirmed by December, many schools will practically lack science teachers next year,” one education observer noted, adding that the government risks reversing gains made in strengthening the JSS rollout.
Teacher unions and professional associations have, in recent months, intensified calls for the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the National Treasury to prioritize the transition of interns to permanent terms, insisting that job security is key to improving teacher morale, retention, and classroom outcomes.
As the deadline fast approaches, stakeholders are now urging Parliament and the Executive to intervene and secure funding for the teachers, arguing that quality education cannot be achieved while thousands of trained professionals remain in limbo.
The coming weeks are expected to be critical as attention now shifts to whether the government will reconsider its budget stance and safeguard continuity in Kenya’s junior secondary education system.
By Hillary Bolo
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