The Government said yesterday that it would be required to employ at least 15, 021 teachers when the first Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) class transits to Grade 9 in 2025.

Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu however assured that the Government is making measures to ensure schools have the necessary infrastructure, where teachers and learners can perform effectively. He said the ministry is taking proactive steps to ensure that these schools have the infrastructure before then to ensure smooth transition.

“This Financial Year, Sh3.9 billion has been earmarked for the construction of classrooms for junior school. A further Sh9 billion will be provided by World Bank to support the construction of 9,000 classrooms,” said the CS during Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) 63rd Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) at Kasarani, Nairobi.

This, he said, together with support from the National Government Constituency Development Fund, will ensure that the country is ready with the required 15,021 classrooms by 2025. He also said the Ministry understands that a teacher will function optimally in an enabling and conducive environment.

On capitation, he insisted that critical reforms have been undertaken to ensure schools and teachers are well facilitated.

This Financial Year, the Ministry reverted to the 50:30:20 capitation disbursement model, for term one, term two and term three, respectively. 

The working party also made recommendations for the review of the capitation amounts and for the introduction of the minimum essential package for schools with less than optimum enrolment and the Ministry is working to progressively implement these. 

On teacher shortage, he said the Government has committed to addressing the challenge and already employed 56,750 teachers, the highest number since independence.

“We will continue to progressively work to ensure that the challenge of teacher shortage is addressed in a sustainable manner, and that our schools are adequately resourced to the required ratios,” he said.

While teacher shortage is a countrywide problem, he said its impacts are unique in certain regions.

In places like North Eastern, parts of the North Rift and the Coast, he said there are teacher shortages attributed to general hardship and perceived insecurity in those areas.

“Teachers from other parts of the country, who are posted to schools in these areas often desert and or seek transfers, because of these challenges. The shortage is aggravated by the fact that there are low numbers of teacher trainees and trained teachers from the affected regions,” said the CS