Over 39,000 Teachers Aged 45+ Remain Jobless, TSC Tells Parliament

At least 39,017 registered teachers aged 45 and above remain unemployed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Acting CEO Eveleen Mitei has revealed.

Appearing before Members of Parliament, Mitei disclosed that although these teachers are formally registered, a staggering 36,180 have not declared their counties and subcounties, making it difficult to assess deployment needs or facilitate placement. Only 2,837 have provided such critical location information.

The issue highlights growing concerns about the ageing pool of jobless educators and the structural inefficiencies in teacher recruitment. In the 2024/25 financial year alone, Mitei said the commission received 1,264 job applications from teachers aged over 45, but only 516 were employed, with the appointments spread unevenly across counties.

“The commission is concerned about the increasing number of older unemployed teachers,” Mitei told MPs, adding that TSC is reviewing its employment framework to address the long delays in recruitment and to curb late entry into the teaching profession.

She further emphasized that insufficient funding remains a major hurdle, limiting the commission’s ability to hire more teachers despite growing demand in schools nationwide.

The data underscores a broader crisis in teacher absorption, as thousands of qualified professionals remain idle even as schools across the country grapple with staff shortages.