The government through the Ministry of Education and Teachers Service Commission is laying out plans to ensure sufficient teachers are posted in the North eastern region.
The region was hit hard by teachers’ shortage in 2020 when the TSC transferred all non-local teachers due to targeted terror attacks and the government has been working to find a permanent solution since then.
Among the measures put in place is negotiating to lower teachers ‘college entry grade for students from the region and to improve the security in the region so that teachers from other regions may be comfortable in working in these areas.
Speaking at Garissa University today, Higher education principal secretary Simon Nabukwesi urged students in the region to go for teaching careers so that they can fill in the gap left in the education sector by teachers from other regions who left due to insecurity issues.
“We want our children here to go to colleges and become teachers to fill the gaps in the education especially in primary and secondary sub sectors so that eventually the schools in the northern parts of Kenya are well staffed with teachers who come in the locality because of security issues here,” Nabukwesi said.
The PS also asked those teaching without the needed training to start enrolling in the Teachers ‘colleges when schools close so that they may boost the intake and have permanent jobs in the future.
“Am informed that 60 per cent of the students who are joining this university have enrolled in Education, once they graduate, there are very many opportunities in this region, they will get jobs immediately,” he said.
“The government has funded construction of a 750- bed capacity hostel here, we have a police post to make sure that the students here are safe. We will also subsidize meals and accommodation fees for the university to attract more students to join teaching courses,” he added.
Garissa University Vice chancellor Prof. Ahmed Warfa said that currently 390 students in the university are pursuing education courses and the number is likely to increase in the future intakes.
“Right now 390 students are in education and we are hoping next year we will have more. We have been working with stakeholders and going to high schools to sensitize the students to enroll in teaching careers,” Prof. Warfa said.
By Erick Kyalo
