TSC Flags as Fake Notice Barring P1 Teachers From Teaching JSS Classes

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) flagged as fake a notice barring the deployment of P1 teachers from teaching Junior Secondary School (JSS) classes.

The letter dated December 27, 2024, and barring the signature of TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia warned the teachers who it claimed had been deployed by heads of institutions (HOIs) contrary to the government’s directive.

The letter, which was addressed to all county and sub-county directors as well as curriculum support officers, further noted that only TSC was allowed to clear teachers qualified to transition with students to JSS.

“It has come to our attention that primary school teachers have been deployed to teach Junior Secondary School (JSS) classes by the Heads of Institutions (HOIs), which is not within their mandate. Teacher deployment is the responsibility of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC),” read the fake letter in part.

“As schools reopen in January, no primary teacher will be allowed to teach in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) unless deployed by the commission. We have employed enough JSS teachers who can handle all subjects as outlined in their employment letters.”

“You are therefore asked to ensure that the headteachers within the jurisdiction have adhered to this directive. Any heads of institution found not following this directive will face disciplinary actions,” added the fake letter.

TSC, in response, denounced the letter as fake and cautioned all teachers and parents to discredit it.

“Please beware of the fake posts circulating on social media. Remember to always verify information from our communication channels,” TSC stated.

Last month, Macharia confirmed that her commission would deploy primary school teachers to support learning activities in JSS. The pioneer class is expected to join JSS in January next year.

In October, the commission employed 20,000 JSS teachers on an internship basis for a period of 12 months.

Subsequently, on December 17, the Commission embarked on an employment exercise of 19,943 tutors to bridge the JSS gap ahead of the January 2025 academic calendar.

In the recruitment, the state was seeking to fill 4,703 slots in the cadre of Senior Teacher I while the Deputy Head Teacher II had 3,653 slots.

Earlier, TSC had issued a framework policy under which P1 teachers were directed to upgrade their courses.

In a statement to the National Assembly, the commission indicated that the retooling program was specifically designed to equip P1 teachers with the necessary skills to effectively implement the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at the primary level.

“The course content of the upgrade in the Diploma Primary Education Programme is designed specifically for primary education to improve quality teaching at the primary level,” explained TSC.

“The career pathway for teachers teaching at JSS is that of a secondary school teacher distinct from the P1 teacher at the primary school level. Hence, the upgrade was not intended as a pathway for P1 teachers to be absorbed into JSS roles.”