Why TSC Budget Allocation Does not Address the Teacher Recruitment-Classroom Needs Gap
The Finance Bill lacks a distinct long-term policy direction for education expenditures.
However, like its predecessors, it attempts to spread budget growth across the four major expenditure areas: primary and secondary education, TVET, higher education and research, and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The Finance Bill aims to enhance the TSC budget by approximately eight percent, a seemingly positive development.
However, a closer examination of the trends in teacher numbers reveals a different story.
The increase in the budget primarily caters to teacher attrition and only presents a minor rise in secondary school teachers, possibly influenced by the introduction of junior secondary schools.
Despite the thousands of teachers hired by the TSC in recent years, the number of teachers in schools has not significantly increased.
In fact, there was a decrease of approximately 0.4% in primary school instructors between 2021 and 2022, while secondary school teachers saw a 4% increase.
This discrepancy raises concerns about the effectiveness of budget allocation in meeting the demand for teachers and improving the overall quality of education.
We can therefore contend that, despite the fact that TSC receives 54 percent of the Ministry of Education’s budget, the Finance Bill cannot afford to increase the number of teachers to improve the quality of education.
The inadequate increase in the number of teachers despite the budget allocation poses significant challenges for the education sector.
The demand for teachers continues to outpace the available supply, resulting in compromised quality education.
The minimal budgetary growth fails to address this issue adequately, impacting the teacher-to-student ratio and classroom dynamics.
The existing trend of declining primary school teachers further exacerbates the situation, potentially affecting foundational learning and academic outcomes.
Without a substantial increase in the number of teachers, the Finance Bill falls short in meeting the needs of the education system.
The budgetary constraints and inadequate teacher recruitment have a direct impact on the quality of education.
Overburdened teachers face challenges in providing individualized attention to students, which hampers their learning experience.
The teacher-to-student ratio affects classroom management, engagement, and the ability to address diverse learning needs effectively.
Moreover, the shortage of teachers may lead to a decline in academic standards, negatively affecting students’ overall educational development.
The Finance Bill’s inability to allocate sufficient funds to address this issue compromises the quality of education and undermines the potential of students.
Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in Kenya continues to face a significant shortage of teachers, with a staggering deficit of 111,870 teachers.
This shortage includes 47,329 positions at the primary level and 64,541 positions in post-primary institutions across the country.
Junior high school (JHS) is facing a transitional storm. But despite the numerous obstacles, education pundits agree that the new system is what we require for the future. Stakeholders must address problems as they arise.
There are few JSS teachers, the majority of whom lack Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) training. Teaching resources are also problematic.
The severe shortage of educators and funds threatens to destabilize the entire educational system. However, we can mitigate the effects of challenges such as a teacher scarcity.
Primary schools, Grades 1 through 7, appear to have more teachers because those who formerly taught Grades 1 through 8 are now in the same school.
In an exercise conducted in January of this year, TSC was able to recruit 36,000 teachers, of which 30,550 posts were allocated to junior secondary schools, 5,000 posts were allocated to primary schools across all 47 counties, and 450 posts were allocated to secondary schools.
According to Nancy Macharia, the Chief Executive Officer of TSC, “To address the teacher shortage, the commission requires to recruit 111,870 teachers over a period of 5 years.
Why TSC Budget Allocation Does not Address the Teacher Recruitment-Classroom Needs Gap