The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is considering tough action against junior school teachers who are taking part in ongoing strike actions instead of reporting to school.
In a memo dated 27th April 2026, the Commission directed regional and county education officials to closely monitor attendance of all junior school intern teachers across the country.
School heads have been instructed to keep daily attendance records, which must then be sent to TSC headquarters every day. The Commission says this information will help it make timely decisions on the management of junior school staffing and internship programmes.
TSC has warned that it may take disciplinary action, including possible dismissal, against teachers who fail to report to duty.
The strike was launched by junior school intern teachers together with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). The teachers are demanding permanent and pensionable employment terms, better working conditions, and reforms in issues such as the Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme, junior school autonomy, and delays in payments for KNEC examination officials.
Despite the strike call, reports show that many teachers still reported to work, with some fearing job losses.
Currently, about 44,000 junior school teachers are serving under internship contracts. The situation follows a Court of Appeal ruling that declared the TSC internship programme invalid and discriminatory, stating that fully trained teachers should not be treated as interns.
TSC first hired 20,000 intern teachers in January 2025 on one-year contracts, which were later extended to the end of 2026. An additional 24,000 teachers were later recruited and deployed in January 2026.
While the government has indicated plans to confirm the first group of 20,000 teachers after the July budget, the fate of the 24,000 newly recruited interns remains unclear. There are also plans to recruit another 16,000 teachers on internship terms this year.
Education officials have not yet given a clear position on long-term confirmation for all groups, creating continued uncertainty among teachers.
The memo issued by TSC directs officials to use a structured reporting system, including daily attendance records and regional summaries, which must be submitted electronically to headquarters.
The Commission says the monitoring exercise is aimed at improving accountability and ensuring smooth management of junior school staffing.
