While the internship is unpaid, participants will receive a monthly stipend of Sh20,000, minus statutory deductions.
The recruitment aims to fill a total of 46,000 vacancies across various educational levels: 6,000 in primary schools, 39,550 in junior secondary schools (JSS), and 450 in secondary schools.
According to TSC, 6,000 positions are available for primary schools, 39,550 for junior secondary schools and 450 for secondary schools.
The unions demanded full implementation of the 2021-2025 CBA. The CBAs between the unions and Teachers Service Commission were signed in June 2021, and amended by an addendum in August 2023.
Kenya Visually Impaired Teachers' Association Chairperson Mbugua Kamau said that they never registered as members of the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers and that the union does not represent their interests.
Unions are requesting that the 2021-2025 CBA be fully enforced. The unions' agreements with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) were signed in June 2021 and revised in August 2023.
The budget cut for TSC was among austerity measures taken by the Treasury after the withdrawal of the contentious Finance Bill 2024 which sparked countrywide protests led by youths opposed to the increase of taxes at a time when Kenyans are facing a high cost of living.
The education stakeholders are said to have suggested to the TSC and MoE officials that Deputy Principal Wario Guyo take over in an acting capacity until a substantive replacement was found.
The government is planning permanent and pensionable terms for all 46,000 of them and will hire 20,000 interns starting in July.
The Bill proposes that the TSC may appoint a teacher in an acting capacity for at least 30 days but not exceeding six months.
The court issued the suspension against the Employment and Labour Relations Court's directive which had mandated the TSC to transition the intern teachers to permanent positions.
The teachers have been fired over protests that started on May 13 as they demanded permanent and pensionable posts.
In various letters seen by The Eastleigh Voice, the TSC argues that the teachers failed to report to duty and engaged in professional misconduct.
The protracted row pitting the group, the Isiolo county government and education officials saw learning constantly disrupted.
The lawmakers have urged the county chiefs to implement the tutor's scheme of service and provide additional budgets in what could be a windfall for the teachers.
The plea arises amidst the refusal of Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers to return to classrooms even as schools commence for the second term.
The directives come as the Junior Secondary School teachers continue to hold demonstrations vowing not to go back to class until TSC heeds their demands.
They say they will not return to work unless the government addresses the key issues of poor pay and changes their contracts to make them permanent and pensionable.
The teachers have now given TSC a seven-day ultimatum to address their grievances, failure to which, they will not report back to schools for the second term.