As the Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024 moves toward its final enactment in February 2026, a groundbreaking structural reform has been unveiled. Article 21 addresses the long-standing leadership crisis in Junior Schools (Grades 7–9).
For the first time, the TSC is formally seeking to end the “caretaker” arrangement where primary school heads manage Junior Schools. The new law proposes the creation of independent administrative units for these institutions, complete with their own substantive Heads of Institutions and Deputy Heads.
Since the rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), Junior Schools have largely shared management with primary schools, a situation that many teachers argued undermined professional standards. Article 21 empowers the TSC to appoint specialized administrators specifically for the Junior School level.
These leaders will be required to have secondary-level qualifications to better manage the transition of learners to Senior School. To fund this, the TSC has requested a budget allocation for the 2026/27 financial year to cover the personnel emoluments and capacity building for this new cadre of administrators.
The Zonal Office Decentralization
To bring services closer to the classroom, the Bill introduces a mandatory decentralization plan. The TSC aims to establish and fully equip Zonal Offices in all 400+ sub-counties across Kenya. This “Bottom-Up” administrative model is intended to:
Speed up Disciplinary Cases: Localizing the initial stages of investigations.
Streamline TPAD and Teacher Support: Providing real-time assistance for the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development system.
Efficient Staffing: Allowing zonal directors to handle local swaps and teacher distributions without involving the Nairobi headquarters.
However, this move has sparked a debate in Parliament over funding, as the Commission estimates it needs an additional Sh700 million to make these local offices operational.
Legalizing the “Institute of Teacher Support” (ITSPD)
Article 21 also provides the legal backbone for the newly created Institute of Teacher Support and Professional Development (ITSPD). This institute will take over the mandate of continuous teacher retooling, moving it away from private service providers.
The Bill proposes that the ITSPD be the sole body responsible for overseeing the mandatory Teacher Professional Development (TPD) modules. By anchoring this in law, the TSC ensures that teacher training remains a public service rather than a commercial enterprise, addressing a major grievance of teacher unions.
Conversion of 20,000 Interns to Permanent Status
As part of the 2026 reforms linked to this Bill, the TSC has announced plans to convert 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable (P&P) terms. This “stabilization” clause is intended to reward those who have served as interns during the hectic CBC transition years. The Commission has earmarked Sh7.2 billion for this exercise, signaling an end to the “internship era” for this large cohort and integrating them fully into the national workforce.
Tags
TSC Junior School administration 2026, TSC Zonal Office decentralization, TSC Amendment Bill Article 21, Institute of Teacher Support and Professional Development (ITSPD), Converting TSC interns to P&P 2026, Kenyan teacher leadership reforms.
