National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee chairperson, Ndindi Nyoro, has called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to clarify when Junior Secondary School (JSS) interns will be offered permanent employment.
Speaking in Aldai Constituency, Nandi County, Nyoro emphasized that Parliament has already allocated funds to facilitate the transition of JSS teachers to permanent and pensionable terms. He urged the TSC to provide a clear timeline for when this transition will take place.
“We recognise that TSC operates as an independent commission, but Parliament has already allocated money for the confirmation of JSS teachers into permanent positions. I respectfully ask the TSC to officially communicate to the intern teachers when they will be confirmed,” Nyoro stated.
This call for clarity follows demonstrations by intern teachers in May 2024, demanding permanent and pensionable employment. The protests were triggered by a court ruling that ordered the government to regularize their employment.
On April 17, Justice Bryrum Ongaya of the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had violated the rights of intern teachers by not offering them fair employment terms, despite their qualifications and teaching licenses.
“The respondents have failed to present any legal or policy framework that justifies employing teachers on internship contracts,” the ruling stated. Justice Ongaya also emphasized that the TSC should employ registered teachers under non-discriminatory terms to meet staffing needs in public schools.
The court’s decision came in response to a petition by the Forum for Good Governance and Human Rights, which challenged the legality of the Teacher Internship Programme. Launched in 2019, the program compensates secondary school interns with a monthly stipend of KSh 20,000, while primary school interns receive KSh 15,000.
During their protests, Junior Secondary School interns argued that these amounts were insufficient to sustain their livelihoods, intensifying their demands for permanent employment.
This call for clarity follows demonstrations by intern teachers in May 2024, demanding permanent and pensionable employment. The protests were triggered by a court ruling that ordered the government to regularize their employment.
On April 17, Justice Bryrum Ongaya of the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had violated the rights of intern teachers by not offering them fair employment terms, despite their qualifications and teaching licenses.
“The respondents have failed to present any legal or policy framework that justifies employing teachers on internship contracts,” the ruling stated. Justice Ongaya also emphasized that the TSC should employ registered teachers under non-discriminatory terms to meet staffing needs in public schools.
The court’s decision came in response to a petition by the Forum for Good Governance and Human Rights, which challenged the legality of the Teacher Internship Programme. Launched in 2019, the program compensates secondary school interns with a monthly stipend of KSh 20,000, while primary school interns receive KSh 15,000.
During their protests, Junior Secondary School interns argued that these amounts were insufficient to sustain their livelihoods, intensifying their demands for permanent employment.
