MPs in Kenya, unlike Sierra Leone, campaign to have teachers paid higher perks
OUMA WANZALA
FwD:
ABUBAKARR
JALLOH
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© Getty
images File Photo-A guard is whistling in a primary school MPs have demanded
that teachers in hardship regions be paid higher allowances to cushion them
against the challenges they face while working.
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In a report tabled in the National Assembly, the
Education committee said the allowances should be reviewed regularly to boost
the net pay for the teachers.
Currently, such teachers earn between Sh6,600 and
Sh38,100 per month depending on their grades and experience.
REGULATIONS
“The ministry of education should constantly review
the existing laws and regulations in order to address the emerging issues and
challenges that face the entire teaching fraternity,” reads the report of the
committee chaired by Julius Melly (Tinderet).
It also want the government to allocate more cash to
the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for recruitment of more teachers to plug
staffing gaps in schools.
INEQUITABLE
“The TSC should continuously recruit teachers on
availability of funds to bridge the deficit gap and address the inequitable distribution
of teachers in schools across the country," says the report.
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34: Congolese men look on at a car which has hit by a mortar, after an alleged
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Currently the country has a shortage of 150,000
teachers while those who have graduated and are awaiting for employment are
290,000.
The reports says most public schools are operating
with severe staff shortages and that the situation is more severe in some
regions than others.
DELOCALISATION
The report encourages the TSC to continue with its
policy of staffing delocalization in public schools regardless of gender to
promote national values, fairness, non-discrimination and equity.
TSC Chief executive Nancy Macharia recently told
the committee that the teacher shortage is a direct consequence of budgetary
allocation to the commission.
“Insecurity has mostly affected the arid and semi-arid
counties-Mandera, Wajir, Lamu and Garissa due to Al Shabaab menace. The
emerging trend by the terror groups to specifically target non-local teachers
has worsened the situation,” said Mrs Macharia adding that the commission is
currently defending numerous court cases where teachers have filed constitutional
petitions contesting either transfers or posting to some counties.
RAILROADED
Meanwhile, the Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek)
has criticised TSC for failing to enforce discipline among teachers. It accuses
TSC of being railroaded by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers.
“TSC is the employer and by law the regulator for
teachers. It should live up to its billing. It cannot continue to give excuses.
It must lead fairly but firmly. It must not be cowed by unnecessary calls for
strikes by the trade unions,” it says in a report adding that the commission
should not stand firm against the unions especially o important policy matters.
WELFARE
“The welfare of teachers is as important as the welfare
of learners. Trade unionists cannot enjoy a right that infringes on the right
of learners,” says the report.
“Delocalization must go on. Affected individual
teachers should be allowed to appeal especially if they have family concerns.
TSC must deal with such appeals fast and in a humane way,” it adds.
Cofek also wants the government to reduce the term
dates from 14 weeks to 12 for first and second terms and retain 10 weeks for
the third term.
SUBJECTS
It also wants the subjects reduced to a maximum five
both in primary and secondary schools.
“Pupils and students, with the support of parents and
teachers, will need to decide early enough if they are going for sciences or
arts focus. If they choose arts, as many will do, they don’t need to be trained
in science-based subjects which will not be useful to them,” reads the report
