Jobs for Bachelor of Education (Arts) Graduates

Teaching humanities and languages

The Bachelor of Education (Arts) prepares secondary and junior school teachers in two teaching subjects, chosen from areas such as English, Literature, Kiswahili, History, Geography, CRE, IRE, Business Studies and languages such as French or German. It combines content in your subjects with education theory, curriculum studies and teaching practice. Under the competency-based curriculum, BEd graduates also teach in junior schools, which created many of the recent teaching vacancies.

TSC registration

Every teacher in Kenya must be registered by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) under the TSC Act, 2012, whether they work in a public or private school. Registration requires your academic certificates, a certificate of good conduct and other documents, and you receive a TSC number that schools and the commission will ask for. Without it you cannot be employed by TSC or lawfully teach.

Where graduates work

• Public secondary and junior schools, through TSC recruitment and internship programmes
• Board of management posts paid by schools, often a first job for new graduates
• Private and international schools, which recruit directly
• Education NGOs, curriculum development, publishing, training and adult education

Entry requirements

Places are allocated through KUCCPS. TSC rules require a minimum KCSE mean grade of C+ and at least C+ in each of the two teaching subjects, so check this before choosing a combination, because a degree with a non-qualifying subject can block registration.

Choosing subjects wisely

Some combinations are more in demand than others. English and Literature, Kiswahili and CRE, and Geography with Business are common, which means stronger competition, while foreign languages and some technical subjects have fewer applicants. Look at recent TSC recruitment adverts to see which subjects are being hired.

Career path

Teachers progress through TSC career grades from teacher to senior teacher, deputy principal and principal through promotion interviews. Others move into education officer roles, examination work with KNEC, curriculum development at KICD, or further study in education leadership. Read our guide to government job applications for how public recruitment works.