Inside the struggles of intern graduate teachers

By Newsflash Writer

Hundreds of university graduates have been thrust into a challenging reality as intern junior school teachers, juggling heavy workloads, inadequate resources, and meagre pay.

Fresh out of university, many interns told this publication that they teach up to 40 lessons a week—twelve more than the recommended number—often handling subjects they were never trained for and working in overcrowded, ill-equipped classrooms.

Intern teachers have been earning Sh17,000 per month, and the government’s recent decision to extend the internship for an additional year has left many frustrated and demoralised.

“To describe it as demoralising is an understatement. We work long hours, commit ourselves to shaping young minds, yet the system does not recognise our efforts. Imagine working for a full year, earning Sh17,000 every month, only to be told the internship will be extended for 12 months,” says an intern on condition of anonymity. “The uncertainty has taken a toll on us all. The only difference between junior school teachers and mjengo employees is that they earn more than us.”

He noted that intern teachers are disadvantaged further because they are not eligible for medical cover or allowances. “In case of illness, the teacher still has to go into the pocket for the medical bill. We don’t have medical allowances but contribute to the Social Health Authority, which is not even helping us. Junior school teachers do not enjoy perks like permanent, pensionable colleagues yet we too have families and other dependants,” he said.

Understaffing and overwork

Interns are also forced to teach subjects outside their specialisation due to widespread understaffing in junior schools. Mr Boniface Khaemba, a mathematics and chemistry teacher in Bungoma, said he regularly handles subjects such as physical education, creative arts, science, and pre-technical studies. “I handle 33 lessons a week when I should be having around 20. The government needs to look into the welfare of junior school teachers and what ails education in general,” he said.

Khaemba, who is married, explained that with a monthly stipend of Sh17,000, supporting a family and covering basic needs is near impossible.

“The economy is harsh. A teacher should not be living like a labourer. The government has not kept its promise of confirming us. It is demoralising and unfair,” he said.

The recent extension of internship contracts by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to December 31, 2026, citing the 2019 Internship Policy, has exacerbated the frustrations. “The commission approved the extension of contracts … for a further 12 months, with effect from January 1, 2026. The interns shall remain in their current stations, subject to their formal confirmation of acceptance,” the TSC notice reads.

Economic pressures and learning gaps

Interns report that the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system adds to their daily struggle. Many are recruited on short-term contracts but carry workloads similar to permanent colleagues, without medical cover or benefits, making it impossible to access loans or financial support.

Mr James Kinyua, an intern in Nyeri said his Sh17,000 monthly pay barely covers basic needs. “If I do the calculation, I go home with Sh580 to Sh600 daily. Compare that to a person at a mjengo site, who takes home Sh800. A foreman earns Sh1,200 a day. University graduates are being treated like casual workers. How are we supposed to survive?” he said.

Kinyua teaches subjects outside his training, including mathematics and creative arts, due to understaffing. “Because schools are understaffed, we teach subjects we never trained for. I have a family and my monthly house rent is Sh5,000. How do I support my wife and children? Society has expectations. Intern teachers are demoralised and drained,” he said.

Ms Regina Mwikali, a junior school teacher in Kisumu County, said practical lessons vital to CBE are often skipped because of lack of resources. “Learners cannot do practicals because resources are withheld by the administrators or the ministry. We teach science without laboratories. Sometimes we improvise with bottles and stones, but it is the children that are losing,” she said.

In major cities, rent alone consumes more than half of a teacher’s pay, forcing many to take odd jobs to make ends meet. “Everyone knows a junior school teacher walks home with Sh17,000 at the end of the month. Rent alone in Bungoma is high, and my two children need to be in school. How can anyone with a family survive on that? Many teachers wake up early to look for odd or menial jobs. While we struggle to survive, the learners suffer since our energy and focus are divided,” said Mwikali.

Government officials, including Treasury CS John Mbadi, acknowledged that intern teachers are underpaid but urged them to “count themselves lucky” for having employment. Kenya Junior School Teachers Association chairman Rodgers Odhiambo cited understaffing and excessive workloads as key challenges undermining education quality.

Odhiambo said, “One of the main challenges is understaffing. An intern teacher has 40 lessons per week. One needs to prepare for every lesson and move from one class to another. There is no time to prepare. Planning, scheming and all the preparation a lesson requires are not done. You just rush to class to finish and move to the next. Even breaks are non-existent.”

He warned that untrained teachers handling multiple subjects compromises learners’ comprehension and engagement. “A teacher trained in mathematics and chemistry ends up handling creative arts. That affects the children for the teacher has little content and does not know how to deliver it,” Odhiambo said.