TSC sets aside Sh1b to train 70,000 teachers for Grade 9 CBC roll-out

SADIK HASSAN-KNA 

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will begin retooling 70,000 teachers from public and private schools, including special needs schools, in preparation for the transition of the first cohort of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to Grade 9 in January. 

Addressing more than 15,000 head teachers in Mombasa on the third day of the Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association (KEPSHA) conference, TSC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Nancy Macharia said the National Assembly has allocated Sh1 billion for the exercise. 

“Details of the retooling exercise have been released, and the multi-agency training will begin after the completion of the ongoing KCSE exams,” Dr. Macharia stated. 

She noted that the Commission retooled 60,642 Grade 2 and Grade 7 teachers in 2023. 

Last year, 36,000 teachers were promoted based on the government budget allocation. 

Teachers were assured that additional promotions would be made in the current financial year before the start of the first term. 

She encouraged teachers from special needs schools to apply, noting that TSC had not received enough applicants, even after lowering the requirements. 

Dr. Macharia urged the National Assembly to allocate additional funds for teacher promotions. 

She assured Kenyans that following the advertisement for 20,000 intern positions, TSC would complete recruitment in time for the interns to report to schools in January. 

She also announced that the Commission is in the final stages of converting 46,000 teacher interns to permanent and pensionable terms. 

Teachers were encouraged to put in extra effort, as Grade 9 will form the first cohort to sit a summative examination that will determine admission to senior schools. 

Regarding the added responsibilities for head teachers due to CBC implementation, the TSC CEO urged the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and KEPSHA to verify whether these additional responsibilities are included in their memorandum to the Commission ahead of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). 

On technology, Dr. Macharia said TSC has been automating its services to improve delivery and has introduced a live-streaming approach to enhance curriculum delivery. 

“By the end of this year, the Commission will have trained 1,000 teachers in live-streaming lessons. 

We must therefore encourage our teachers to embrace technology and ICT integration in curriculum delivery,” she stated. 

National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education, Research, and Technology chair Julius Melly advocated for digital learning in schools, leveraging internet connectivity.