The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has officially abolished the long-standing requirement that secondary school teachers must be qualified to teach at least two subjects, opening the door for the recruitment and registration of teachers specialized in a single subject.
The policy shift is aimed at addressing growing teacher shortages in specialized learning areas as Kenya continues implementing the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
The announcement was made by TSC Acting Chief Executive Officer Evaleen Mitei during the 49th Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Annual Conference in Mombasa.
According to the commission, the decision was informed by increasing pressure on the education system following the transition of more than 1.1 million learners into senior school, creating significant staffing gaps across multiple subject areas.
TSC identified acute shortages in highly specialized disciplines including aviation, building construction, media technology, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as indigenous languages.
Education officials noted that the previous Teacher Selection and Recruitment Policy had become restrictive by excluding professionals and technical experts who possessed deep expertise in only one subject area but did not meet the traditional two-subject requirement.
To support the reforms, TSC reviewed Legal Notice No. 50 under the Code of Regulations for Teachers to formally recognize single-subject educators within the recruitment and registration framework.
In another major policy adjustment, the commission confirmed that it is moving away from the traditional P1 certificate pathway and will now require a minimum diploma qualification for new primary school teacher recruitment.
Additionally, TSC announced the introduction of stage-based pathways designed to improve teacher registration and deployment for learners with special needs.