The intern teachers in primary and Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) have a reason to smile as 26, 000 of them will be employed on Permanent and Pensionable terms from January 2025 at a cost of KSh8.3 billion.
The National Treasury has allocated KSh364 910 billion for the Financial Year 2024/2025 to the Teachers Service Commission to carry out its functions.
The approved 2024 Budget Policy Statement indicates the Commission’s allocation as KSh369.9 billion while the draft budget estimates for Financial Year 2024/25 have an allocation of KSh364.910 billion.
This indicates reduction of KSh5.033 billion in recurrent expenditure and KSh33 million reduction in development expenditure.
This comes amid the on-going demonstrations by the JSS intern teachers who have refused return to classrooms even as schools commence for the second term this week.
The teachers demand that the TSC comply with the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) which ruled that their labour rights were violated by being employed as interns instead on permanent and pensionable terms.
JSS teachers as of now are on a one year contract with those posted in primary schools taking home a KSh15, 000 while those in JSS receiving KSh20, 000.
In the budget, TSC is set to use KSh4.68 billion to recruit an additional 20, 000 interns in primary and JSS schools as the teacher employer looks to address the teachers shortage in these schools.
Consequently, TSC has revealed that it is looking to spend a sum of KSh1 billion in promotions of teachers.
The amount is similar to that of the current expenditure which saw the Commission promote a total of 36, 505 teachers to higher grades, in line with the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) with most of them elevated to new ranks after years of stagnation in the same job group.
By Vostine Ratemo
The writer rolls out academic talks in schools. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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