Students entering grade 10 next month in Kenya will require 58,590 additional teachers under the CBC curriculum. STEM subjects are most affected, with a shortage of 35,111 teachers. The TSC director has explained this need.
Due to changes in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), Kenya faces a significant shortage of teachers for students set to join grade 10 next month. Some 569,000 students have chosen Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, requiring 35,111 teachers. Social sciences need 14,630 teachers, while arts and sports require 8,778.
Dr. Reuben Nthamburi, TSC's director overseeing education quality, stated that this shortage stems from the new education system. “STEM will account for 60 percent of students, totaling 677,144 in 15,046 classes. We calculated using a class size of 45 students, needing 35,111 teachers. For social sciences, we need 14,630, and arts and sports 8,778, making a total of 58,519,” said Dr. Nthamburi.
The TSC has called on universities and teacher training colleges to align their programs with market demands, particularly in arts and sports. Dr. Nthamburi emphasized the need to match teacher numbers to students to deliver quality education, especially with the high interest in STEM among 1.1 million grade four students. This will support effective CBC implementation.