The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has laid out a detailed and highly structured vetting process to select primary school teachers for deployment to Junior Secondary School (JSS).
The exercise, part of a wider strategy to resolve teacher shortages and stagnation, is already underway for the 3,693 teachers who submitted their applications.
The Commission stipulates that only teachers qualified to teach at secondary level can be considered for the deployment. To be eligible, an applicant must hold at least a Diploma in Education and have attained a C+ at KCSE (or its equivalent), along with a C+ in two teaching subjects aligned with the current curriculum.
Alternatively, candidates with a C grade who also possess a diploma and a bachelor’s degree in education may qualify.
Crucially, Bachelor of Education holders in the Primary Option are disqualified, a move that has sparked discontent among teachers who had pursued such qualifications under the impression they would count in future career advancement.
TSC further requires that candidates be actively employed, registered with the Commission, and not under disciplinary action or interdiction.
The vetting process begins at the sub-county level, where invited teachers must present original and photocopies of academic documents, including degree/diploma certificates, transcripts, KCSE certificates, and current payslips.
The Head of Institution must also provide a written declaration verifying that the teacher is actively teaching and not under investigation.
After document verification, Sub County Directors must prepare signed minutes of the vetting meeting. These records are then reviewed at the county level, where another round of documentation and list verification is done. The final vetting outcome is then forwarded to the Director of Staffing at TSC headquarters in Nairobi.
All verified teacher lists must include a status and remarks column. This provides clarity on why an applicant was either approved or disqualified—for instance, due to having less than the required KCSE grade. These submissions must be sent in editable MS Excel format by June 20, 2025, via the official TSC email.
TSC emphasized that no modifications should be made to the original lists beyond filling in the status and justification columns. Sub County Directors are required to securely store vetted documents of successful applicants, awaiting further instruction.
This meticulous process is part of TSC’s efforts to maintain high standards in JSS staffing while promoting only those who meet set thresholds.
