Homa Bay County Governor Gladys Wanga has urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to employ more teachers to address the ongoing shortage in the region’s primary schools. Speaking in Homa Bay town, Wanga highlighted a deficit of 3,000 teachers, warning that this shortfall could lead to a decline in the region’s education standards.
Governor Wanga emphasized that her office had already taken steps to improve the education sector by allocating more funds for the employment of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers on permanent and pensionable terms. Additionally, funds have been set aside for the construction of more classrooms and for enhancing the school feeding program. However, Wanga expressed concern that these initiatives could be in vain if there are insufficient teachers to support ECDE learners when they transition to primary school.
In her bid to tackle the issue, Wanga disclosed that her government had allocated KSh160 million to build 160 classrooms for ECDE learners. However, she called on the national government to step up its role in addressing the primary school teacher shortage. She pointed out that although 5,862 teachers are set to be recruited across the country this January, Homa Bay will only receive 135 teachers.
The teacher allocation plan indicates that Ndhiwa and Homa Bay sub-counties will each get 22 teachers, followed by Rachuonyo North with 17 teachers. Other sub-counties, including Suba, Mbita, and Rachuonyo East, will each receive 14 teachers, while Rachuonyo South will receive 11. Wanga termed these numbers inadequate given the large student populations in the region.
Furthermore, Wanga lamented the trend where teachers from other regions, once employed in Homa Bay, request transfers, leaving students without adequate teaching staff. She urged the government to address this issue to ensure a balanced distribution of teachers across the county.
The governor’s call underscores the urgent need for a strategic solution to ensure that every learner in Homa Bay has access to quality education. With the teacher shortage persisting, the county faces significant challenges in achieving its educational goals.
