The Teachers Service Commission’s decision to offer interns an advantage in the ongoing recruitment of permanent workers has sparked a flimsy and shaky uproar.
Job seekers wanting to work for the commission on a permanent basis claim that by raising the intern score from 10 to 30 in the hiring process, the employer is effectively excluding those who have never worked as apprentices but have the necessary credentials.
The argument holds water in terms of the concepts of justice, transparency, and fairness, as all recruitment prospects should be subjected to a non-discriminatory interview procedure that prioritizes academic credentials that demonstrate one’s readiness to teach.
However, this viewpoint overlooks the value of experience, no matter how limited, in filling personnel shortages across the country at a time when schools are scrambling to make up for lost time after the epidemic disrupted schooling on a scale never seen before.
It makes more sense for the TSC to hire people who can jump right in and support learners whose brains have been starved of stimulation for nearly a year than to hire people who will take months or longer to adjust to the learning and teaching environment.
Even before the pandemic, the basic education sector was already dealing with a teacher deficit of over 100,000, placing thousands of students behind in fundamental abilities like reading, writing, and math.
Even before the pandemic, the basic education sector was already dealing with a teacher deficit of over 100,000, placing thousands of students behind in fundamental abilities like reading, writing, and math.
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When the TSC, the government’s single largest employer with over 330,000 employees, implemented an intern recruiting strategy in 2019, it was motivated by the need to avoid the teacher shortage from reaching insurmountable proportions.
It was a foresight policy that allowed the commission to fill schools on the cheap with young, fully trained education graduates or diploma holders who can provide valuable services to students rather than leaving them unattended while the government allocates funds for the recruitment of permanent and pensionable teachers.
When the notion of hiring intern teachers was originally floated in 2009, the Kenya National Union of Teachers went to court to halt it, claiming that it was against the law.
The union, on the other hand, dropped the lawsuit after reaching an agreement with the TSC that the interns would be gradually integrated into the commission on permanent terms or given first preference during recruitment.
Thousands more intern teachers are now teaching in schools, although for a pittance of Sh15,000 in elementary schools and Sh20,000 in secondary schools.
Thousands of fully trained education graduates and diploma holders have been discouraged by this arduous salary, which the TSC refers to as an allowance, and many have turned it down.
It’s only natural that individuals who turned down the offer feel cheated when those who opted to endure the hardships of working for a pittance are given first priority in the hiring process.
When it comes to hiring, most companies, both private and public, place a high value on experience.
Most have a definite preference for individuals who have previously worked with them as interns because they are comfortable with the work environment, have already formed friendships, and are well aware of the aims, deadlines, and objectives.
When it comes to hiring full-time reporters or editors, most media companies prioritize part-time correspondents.
Permanent employees without prior internship experience require time to settle in and acclimatize to the work environment, much to the chagrin of employers, as the recruits begin collecting full wages and allowances on day one but may not begin real work until the third or fourth month.
A university education graduate or diploma holder who has worked as an intern for a year has a significant advantage over those who have not.
Interns have a unique opportunity to learn about and comprehend today’s learner, who is more unpredictable, digitally aware, and exposed to the outside world than past generations of students.
They gain a thorough understanding of the school environment, as well as the intrigues and complexities of classroom teaching, unusual out-of-class activities, and encounters with the more informal world of little kings, queen bees, and bullies among the pupils.
Interns also provide their more experienced colleagues more time to focus on more critical school issues including syllabus completion, discipline, career counseling, and individualized instruction.
Interns are typically assigned to more mundane but important responsibilities including gathering learners’ reports, preparing class lists based on information provided by veterans, covering for absent instructors, and working with prefects to keep track of disciplinary situations.
Principals and senior teachers have little time or motivation to take new recruits through any kind of orientation in the era of Covid-19, when many schools are suffering from disruptions. They are rushing to repair the damage caused by the virus.
Instead, they are delighted to receive highly motivated and upbeat staff who are pleased about the increased salary and elevated position of permanent and pensionable employees.
Instead, they are delighted to receive highly motivated and upbeat staff who are pleased about the increased salary and elevated position of permanent and pensionable employees.
The TSC is being thoughtful and responsible by offering the interns a 30% grade head start in the continuing recruitment process. The program will also acquire traction among unemployed instructors, which will benefit our schools.
