Unemployed teachers have a reason to be hopeful, albeit with little to smile about, as the government allocates KES 2.5 Billion for the hiring of new teachers.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani presented a proposed budget of Sh.3.6 trillion at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi. The budget will cover the 2021-22 fiscal year, beginning in July 1, until June 30, 2022.
As the last budget for President Uhuru’s administration, much of the allocations have been given to projects that carry the promise of building his legacy. Namely, the budget has focused much on some of the projects started by the president, including SGR, CBC, Kazi Mtaani, the Big Four Agenda, Economic Zones, and Industrial Parks.
In the education sector, other mouth-watering allocations include Sh12 billion for free primary education; Sh1 billion for the implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum; Ksh281.7 billion for Teachers Service Commission (TSC); and Sh4 billion for KCPE and KCSE examination waivers. Higher Education Loans Board will also receive Sh15.8 to extend loans to university students who have been admitted through the KUCCPS.
With these allocations, TSC will now have a chance to review their staffing needs and advertise for new position in primary and secondary schools. Usually, advertisements were done in July or August after the start of the fiscal year. Therefore, new teachers are expected to be hired from August or September onwards to meet the deficit of classroom teachers in Kenya.
This will include intern teachers and permanent and pensionable teachers. The money may not meet the required threshold to reach a desirable teacher-student ratio, but it will be a boost for job seekers who have been in the cold for years.
