TSC extends registration of unemployed teachers

Teachers Service Commission acting CEO Eveleen Mitei before the National Assembly Committee on Education on March 17 /DOUGLAS OKIDDY

The Teachers Service Commission has extended registration deadline for registered but unemployed teachers to submit updated personal and professional information.

Initially set for March 16, the deadline for updating records has now been pushed to midnight of April 7.

The commission emphasised that the exercise is strictly a data collection initiative and not a recruitment drive.

The extension comes as part of TSC’s ongoing nationwide effort to update its records on registered teachers who are currently not employed by the commission.

Under Article 237(2) and (3) of the constitution and section 24 of the TSC Act, 2012, the commission is mandated to register trained teachers, review standards of education and teacher supply, and advise the government on the teaching profession.

In line with this mandate, the current exercise seeks to provide accurate, up-to-date data on the teacher workforce, which is critical for planning, resource allocation and future recruitment policies.

The commission said the exercise will help it establish the demand and supply of qualified teachers across the country, as well as a detailed profile of unemployed teachers, including their qualifications, subject specialisations and levels of training.

“Teachers targeted for submission of this information should provide their details online at www.tsc.go.ke under the ‘Online Services’ menu – Teacher Profile Update,” the commission said.

Alternatively, teachers can access the portal directly via https://tsconline.tsc.go.ke/profile/teacher-profile/.

Upon submitting their data and signing a consent form, teachers are required to provide personal and professional information including full name, identification number, ethnicity, county and subcounty of origin, gender, academic qualifications, subject combination, level of training, disability status and contact details.

The commission assured teachers that all information submitted will be protected and processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act and TSC’s Privacy Notice.

TSC clarified that the exercise is purely for updating its records and does not constitute a job application. As such, no participant is guaranteed employment or any related benefit.

The comprehensive database will help inform policy decisions and plan for future teacher recruitment in public primary and secondary schools.

The exercise takes place amid a persistent teacher shortage in Kenya, estimated at 98,000, despite ongoing recruitment drives.

It also comes on the backdrop of a court ruling that declared TSC's teacher internship programme illegal, rendering 44,000 trained teachers jobless. 

The tutors had been hired on one-year contracts, earning Sh20,000 monthly stipends.

The Court of Appeal nullified the internship programme, declaring it unconstitutional, illegal and discriminatory.

The court said engaging qualified, licensed teachers as interns was oppressive, ordering the TSC to stop the practice and convert the 44,000+ interns to permanent and pensionable terms.

TSC has consistently highlighted that the gap in staffing could widen further with the rollout of senior schools in Grade 10, with the court ruling now compounding the situation.

Data from the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census shows that nearly 39 per cent of youths were unemployed, underscoring the need for accurate workforce planning in all sectors, including education.

TSC’s nationwide update is therefore seen as a strategic step towards matching trained teachers to available positions while guiding the government on education staffing needs.

In the 2025-26 financial year, the government allocated Sh2.4 billion for the recruitment of 20,000 new intern teachers starting January, alongside an additional Sh1 billion to support this expansion.

Furthermore, Sh7.2 billion was targeted for converting 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms.

Following the court ruling, TSC acknowledged the judgment, noting it faces significant financial and budgetary implications to absorb the intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.

On March 17, the commission told Parliament that it was conducting internal consultations to arrive at a "participatory, lawful and fiscally sustainable" decision.

TSC acting CEO Evaleen Mitei requested that parties exercise restraint while the commission reviews the legal and financial implications after Kuppet threatened street action to compel the commission to compensate the interns and immediately convert them to permanent and pensionable staff.