A score sheet which the Teachers Service Commission intends to use in the coming teachers’ recruitment exercise has left many job seekers with thin hope.
The scoresheet as seen by Mwanahabari.co.ke is obviously skewed to favour trained teachers who are currently on internship in various schools – or have interned for TSC before.
According to the scoresheet, interns who will present valid evidence of their internship will be awarded 30 points. This means that those who are not interns – or have never interned for TSC – will have zero points. That’s a huge head-start.
The scoresheet is divided into four scoring areas namely; A, B, C (i) and C (ii).
Shocking scoresheet
In category A, scores are awarded based on Professional P1 qualification. In this category, points are awarded based on scores in the PTE exams. Those with a Distinction (6-14) get 40 points. Credit 1 (15-26) get 35 points. Credit 2 (27-38) get 30 points. Credit 3 (39-52) get 25 points. Pass (53-64) get 20 points accord to the scoresheet provided by the TSC.
In category B, scores are awarded to interns upon presentation of evidence. Those who have interned for TSC are awarded 30 points.
In category C (i) scores are warded based on year of graduation. Those who graduated in 2015 and before are awarded 30 marks, 2016 get 25 points, 2017 get 20 points, 2018 get 15 points, 2019 get 10 points and finally 2020 and after get 5 points.
In category C (ii) scores are awarded for those who had been previously employed by the commission. The points are based on length of stay outside service. 2020 and after get 30 marks, 2019 and 2018 get 25 marks, 2017 -2016 get 20 points, 2015-2014 get 15 marks, 2013-2012 get 10 marks, 2011 and before get 5 marks.
Cheated and discriminated
These scores have left trained teachers who never landed a chance to intern feeling cheated and discriminated.
John, who graduated in 2012 but tried to land internship but failed says he is sure he will not get a job this time round.
“You can tell TSC is keen on absorbing only interns, and that is why they are awarding them 30 points. I personally scored a distinction, which means my points will be 70 (40 from Category A and 30 points from Category C (1) for length of time I have been out since graduation. An intern who graduated in 2018 and scored Credit 3 in PTE exams will get 70 points just like me, that’s despite the fact that I graduated 6 years before he or she did. That is sad,” said John.
Anne on her part says she will not even try to apply. TSC is the most corrupt body in this country after the police.
Favoritism
“These internships they are now talking about were mostly given to people based on who knew who. Tell me, how come we have people who graduated much recently with jobs… when some of us have been waiting for 8 years to be employed by TSC. It is sad,” she said.
“I know people who graduated in 2016 who are already in the job, yet any who graduated in 2012 are still counting years – and then you come up with this corrupt interns thing,” said Anne.
Over 9000 teaching vacancies
TSC is seeking to fill up over 9,000 teaching vacancies in secondary and primary schools.
Out of these 5,000 teaching jobs are in secondary school. Out of these, 4,000 teachers would be recruits joining the service for the first time, while 1,000 would go to primary school tutors looking for promotions and deployment of teachers on practice.
Additionally, 1,000 more teachers would be recruited in primary schools spread across the country. The teachers’ employer advised those interested in being ready to work in any part of the country and not necessarily in their counties of birth.
The commission also advertised 2,987 vacancies for primary and 927 for secondary schools to replace those who exited the service.