The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has extended the deadline for updating data for registered teachers not currently employed by the Commission to April 7, 2026, in a move aimed at strengthening workforce planning and policy development in the education sector.
In a public notice on Tuesday, the Commission said the nationwide exercise targets registered teachers outside its payroll, seeking to update records with critical details, including qualifications, subject specialization, and level of training.
The data collection is intended to support “effective teacher workforce planning, including establishing the demand and supply of qualified teachers to inform teacher recruitment and related policies.”
The Commission emphasized that the exercise is anchored in its constitutional mandate under Article 237(2) and (3), which requires it to “register trained teachers,” “review the standards of education and training of persons entering the teaching service,” and “review the demand for and the supply of teachers.”
It also cited Section 24 of the TSC Act, 2012, which obligates it to maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date register of all teachers, including their qualifications and other prescribed particulars.
TSC clarified that the updated information will be handled in compliance with existing data protection laws, noting that “the updated data will be processed and stored in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and the Privacy Notice of the Commission.”
The register, it added, remains a public document as stipulated in law.
Teachers required to participate have been directed to submit their details through the Commission’s online platform under the “Online Services” menu, specifically the teacher profile update section.
The extension of the deadline is expected to give more eligible teachers sufficient time to comply with the directive.
The Commission further issued a disclaimer to avoid misinterpretation of the exercise, stating, “This is a data update exercise, not a recruitment advertisement.”
The clarification comes amid heightened expectations among unemployed teachers, with TSC reiterating that the initiative is purely for data validation and planning purposes.
The teacher data update comes as the commission faces mounting pressure to comply with a court ruling requiring the employment of 44,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
The Court of Appeal on February 27 upheld a decision declaring the internship programme unlawful, placing the interns in a legal limbo.
Currently earning a Sh20,000 stipend, the teachers would cost the government about Sh2.5 billion monthly if absorbed.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers had warned of contempt proceedings if TSC fails to act, even as the government grapples with funding gaps.
“We will cite the TSC for contempt if these teachers are not converted immediately to permanent and pensionable terms,” Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori said.