Teachers Given 2 Days to Apply for 280,000 Vacancies

Jobseekers wait to hand in their documents during recruitment at County Hall in Nairobi, 2019.
Jobseekers wait to hand in their documents during recruitment at County Hall in Nairobi, 2019.
NMG

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has given teachers up to two days to apply for 280,000 job vacancies through its online portal. 

Teachers who will be considered after applying will be deployed to schools as centre managers, supervisors, invigilators, examiners, makers and security personnel to assist with the administration of KCPE and KCSE exams. 

KNEC said that the teachers have until Thursday, February 25 to make submissions. KNEC will post the teachers to sub-counties under the guidance of Directors of Education and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The council attributed the vacancies to the increase in the number of candidates who will be sitting the exams in March 2021. Over two million candidates registered for the national exam as compared to 1.6 million for both primary and secondary schools. 

File image of KCSE students in Kenya
File image of KCSE students in Kenya
File

In 2019, KNEC deployed 264,446 professionals to schools. The agency thus increased the available vacancies by 15,000 in 2021 as it looks forward to conducting tests under strict Covid-19 rules and other measures set to curb cheating

“An estimated 286,000 field officers will be engaged on an agency basis to facilitate the conduct of exams in the field.

"The field officers contracted for the administration of exams will be expected to register online using the contracted professional CP2 system," KNEC reiterated. 

The council is also expected to issue guidance to school heads on how to conduct practical exams under Covid-19 rules. Headteachers, however, raised concerns that schools were not yet prepared as most, if not all, lack funds to upgrade laboratories and purchase required specimens. 

"We have not yet received the 25 percent capitation balance as promised by the government. 

Schools may not be able to get the KNEC's specimen once they send us the list," Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) National Chairman Kahi Indimuli said.

KCPE exams will start on Monday, March 22, 2021, and end on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. 

Rehearsals for KCSE candidates will be conducted on March 25 with the written exams slated for March 26 up to Wednesday, April 21.

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Teachers at the Ministry of Education's CBC training in 2020
File