TSC Starts Nationwide Teacher Transfers Before Second Term Reopening

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has started a nationwide transfer exercise for teachers ahead of the reopening of schools for the second term.

According to TSC, the transfer process is aimed at solving the long-standing problem of unequal teacher distribution in schools across the country.

For many years, some schools, especially those in towns and easily accessible areas, have had more teachers than needed, while schools in remote and hardship regions have continued to face serious teacher shortages.

This imbalance has affected learning in many schools, with some learners missing teachers in important subjects.

TSC says the current transfer exercise is not just a normal administrative move, but a carefully planned process based on data collected from schools.

The commission has assigned County and Sub-County transfer panels to oversee the exercise. These teams are using information submitted by school heads to determine where teachers are most needed.

The transfer process is guided by a special matrix that considers several factors, including:

number of learners in a school
number of classes
current number of teachers
gender balance among teachers
schools with surplus or shortage of staff

For example, under the formula, a primary school with 300 pupils is expected to have seven teachers, including six classroom teachers and one headteacher.

For Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) with the same number of learners, the minimum number is also seven teachers. However, due to subject requirements, most schools may need between nine and twelve teachers.

These teachers cover subjects such as:

Mathematics
English
Kiswahili
Science
Social Studies
Pre-Technical Studies

Unlike primary schools, JSS teachers are assigned to specific subjects under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

For senior schools, there is no fixed number of teachers. Instead, staffing depends on the subjects offered, with estimates ranging from 15 to 20 teachers for every 300 learners.

These teachers are expected to cover areas such as STEM, humanities, languages, technical studies, and arts.

The main goal of the transfer exercise is to move teachers from overstaffed schools to schools facing shortages.

TSC says this will help ensure that every learner, regardless of where they are in the country, has access to qualified teachers in all subjects.

Going forward, the commission is also expected to focus on subject-specific needs instead of only looking at the total number of teachers in a school.

This means schools will receive teachers based on the exact subjects they lack.

The development comes as President William Ruto recently promised to employ more than 100,000 teachers this year.

By February, the government had already hired 26,000 Junior Secondary School teachers as part of efforts to reduce the teacher shortage.

With schools expected to reopen for the second term on April 27, the transfer process is likely to begin immediately, with affected schools preparing to release or receive teachers.