The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) proposes a framework to place unemployed Kenyan teachers in international roles across multiple countries, aiming to ease domestic joblessness while strengthening global educational collaboration.
Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is set to launch a bold policy that facilitates the placement of unemployed Kenyan teachers in international schools. Under the new framework, thousands of trained educators will be matched with teaching roles abroad through formal agreements with foreign governments and institutions.
The commission’s plan recognizes that a significant share of Kenya’s registered teachers remain jobless despite chronic shortages in local public schools. While around 400,000 educators hold permanent positions, nearly half of TSC’s roster remains without formal placement. Meanwhile, teaching vacancies in Kenya—especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects—persist in hundreds of institutions. Junior secondary schools face deficits exceeding 72,000 teachers, while senior secondary schools report shortages exceeding 65,000.
To bridge this gap for unemployed teachers, TSC will roll out a selection and deployment system. A central database will list qualified educators willing to work abroad and match them with suitable roles overseas. Teachers employed under permanent and pensionable terms will need to resign before embarking on international assignments; however, their overseas experience may qualify as credited professional development under Kenya’s Recognition of Prior Learning framework.
The commission emphasizes that international placements will be underpinned by contracts that safeguard teaching terms abroad—including salary, working hours, benefits, housing, insurance, and repatriation. To ensure consistency, TSC will coordinate with the Ministries of Labour, Foreign Affairs, and related agencies to negotiate fair, competitive terms. Pre-departure orientation will cover logistics, health, security, and cultural adaptation.
While host countries targeted are not yet publicly disclosed, bilateral and government-to-government partnerships will form the basis of placements. TSC has already noted interest from foreign governments seeking Kenyan teachers, particularly in English, special needs, and STEM instruction.
Upon returning to Kenya, teachers are not assured automatic re-employment; they must apply for available vacancies. Their international teaching experience, however, could enhance their prospects under the TSC career structure.
Critics argue Kenya should instead intensify job creation domestically, pointing to the irony of exporting teachers while local schools remain understaffed. Others praise the move as a way to provide unemployed teachers with alternatives, grow Kenya’s global education footprint, and channel remittances into the national economy.
As TSC moves ahead with this landmark policy, its success will depend on transparent selection, solid international partnerships, and balanced attention to Kenya’s own teacher staffing needs.
