The over 20,000 Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) teachers have maintained a hardline stance that they will not report to duty as the new term commences on Monday unless their grievances are addressed. The teachers complained that their grievances to be hired on permanent and pensionable basis had not been addressed todate.

John Melvin, a JSS teacher in Nairobi, led his colleagues in asking the government to stop politicizing education and do things the right way. “Teachers are complaining about employment and should be confirmed. We have issued an official notice to Teachers Service Commission on the strike and we are not reporting to any learning institution even if we are coerced to whatever extent. We are aware that they have been threatening us with deregistration but we will not subject ourselves to that coercion and intimidation,” said Melvin.

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The teachers warned about attempts to intimidate them into silence, saying that a demonstration that was to be held yesterday could not take off because they could not obtain the requisite permit from the police. They also complained about the merging of subjects under Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), saying it would overload them. Melvin gave an example of merging pretechnical studies with computer and business studies saying that is a wide scope to handle within one lesson of about 40 minutes.

“We have issues with merging some learning areas. For example, pre-technical studies is being merged with computer and business studies, how do you expect a teacher to teach that as one learning area? We do not have books to teach that learning area,” he said. “Again, is there a curriculum design to guide teachers on how to handle that learning area and are teachers trained to teach that learning area? What we know is that teachers are trained to teach business or computer studies. Now, when they are merged, how do you expect teachers to teach that yet he or she has been trained in one of the areas?” posed Melvin.

The teachers said that TSC and the Ministry of Education should urgently look into this matter and stop rushing things and do things in an orderly manner. Another JSS teacher, Patience Nkatha in Tharaka Nithi said teachers have been blocked from picketing so that their issues cannot be addressed. “It has come to our attention that teachers are now restricted from speaking out, exercising their rights to picket.

We are aware the letter was served to the OCS and it was rejected and we do not know why that means something is going on that is not right,” she said. Nkatha explained that their contracts as JSS teachers started in February last year and were supposed to lapse on December 31. However, before it could lapse, Nkatha said that a TSC representative said that their contracts had been extended for another year.

“They clearly indicated that it was a one year non renewable contract and once it lapsed we were supposed to be confirmed into permanent and pensionable terms. We do not understand why we are suddenly being told to renew the contracts and we are also being told there is no money,” she said. Similarly, she said they have not seen books merging the subjects and wondered how they are to go to class for a 40 minutes lesson with three textbooks to teach three subjects in one lesson.

“We are not cheap labor and we are supposed to be treated like any other person working for the government. There are no curriculum designs given, you go to create lesson plans with three curriculum designs that is not possible it is confusing the teachers and learners,” said Nkatha. “I do not know why parents are quiet about these issue, they are supposed to come and complain because these are your learners that are being wasted,” she added.

The teachers said there is a big difference between retooling and training of teachers, noting that they should be offered with enhancement courses. Last month, President William Ruto affirmed that internship programmes must take two years before being absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms. Ruto said that this is the Government policy that will be adopted in all sectors, not only for the teaching profession, even as he assured the Junior Secondary teachers that their contract will continue in January.

Once they complete their internship of two years, Ruto assured that they will be given the first priority in hiring permanently. “We will hire everybody so they need to relax, let them go through the process and will have the first priority when we hire teachers after the internship. We are not only doing internships with teachers but also in many other sectors,” said Ruto in a televised interview. “JSS teachers will still work in January because the Kenya Kwanza Government manifesto provides that all sectors, before being hired on permanent and pensionable terms, you first work under an internship programme for two years,” he added.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut)has opposed extension of contract for intern teachers,saying they should now be put on permanent and pension-able terms.

Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu yesterday said their proposal was to have the teachers serveon contract foroneyear only.

He made the remarks while calling on the teachers to desist from holding pro-tests,saying there are organised and steadfast waysto address their issues.

“We sat with TSC and signed a Memorandum of Understanding that says the teachers have been accepted as interns.Our proposal was for one year but now saying the contracts might be renewed…That will not happen,”Oyuu stated.

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Oyuu was speaking on the sidelines of the inaugural Knut national electedwom·en leaders round-table,a precursorto the union’s 63d Annual DelegatesConference that will be held this week at Kasarani,Nairobi.

Oyuu,however,explained that the employment of teachers as interns has brought down youth unemployment,especialy in the teaching fraternity.

But the moment they were recruited as interns,the unions said there must be a definite period for which they will be interns.

“If we go by what is there legally,an in-tem is one who is nottrained and qualified and is waiting to be taken somewhere to exhibit the skills for what he/she trained for,then much later be confirmed,”he explained.

He added, “But this is a case where a teacher is trained and qualified like any interns was just to reduce the shortage but we want to say here and now,these teach-ers should be employed on permanent and It is a pathetic Sh17,000 and you are teaching in a town.”

He said Knut supports the wellbeing of teachers employed on contract and will be on the front line to ensure they are em-ployed on permanent and pensionable them to go to the streets,let us (Knut) take the frontline and they will come behind us.You do not incite them and then leave them,”Oyuu stated.
Labour movement
Oyuu further said the clamor to have teachers on permanent and pensionable even augmenting the salaries for those in permanent and pensionable terms is still on.
“What we criticise and I was very clear…This is a labour movement and we have other unions. It is wrong to incite or take advantage of ignorance of that yung teacher who is not even permanently em-ployed and then you take him out there to go and demonstrate.It is Knut that should advocate for these teachers who are sup-posed to be employed on permanent and pensionable terms,”he affirmed.
At the same time,Oyuu stated that the recommendation by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER),which places premium on foundational learning to avert future crisis in education, is the way-forward and should be supported by all education stakeholders.
He explained that foundational learning refers to basic literacy,numeracy and transferable skills that are the building blocks for a life of learning and these are effectively attained and imparted at primary school level.

“Knut holds that effective policies on foundational learning as proposed by PWPER should be adopted in whole without adulteration,” he said.
The Knut boss at the same time noted that most of these teachers are lapsing their contractual terms and do not know what to do or how the commission will handle their cases.
The contract of the first cohort of 20,000 JSS intern teachers is coming to an end on December 31 and another cohort of 1,000 primary school teachers is ending on April 1 next year so is the same for the other cohort of 450 secondary school teachers.
“The contract of the second cohort of 18,000 Junior Secondary School teachers is coming to an end on September 1, 2024the same applies to 2,000 teachers on the same terms in primary schools,” he said.
On promotion, Oyuu said there are discrepancies where some senior graduate teachers serving as head teachers are in D1 yet others with the same qualifications are still in C5.
This, he said, is a group of teachers with the same qualifications, same job group before they faced the interview and in new positions, performing same roles and facing the same challenges yet earning different salaries and allowances contrary to part II section 5 of the Labour Relations Act of2007.

“The affected teachers feel demotivated and unappreciated even as they continue discharging their duties.Discriminating workers in the current dispensation of work where job evaluation is the order of the day with strict adherence to job con-tent,related duties, minimum qualifications needed to perform the job,decision making level of each job,requisite accountability,impact of the job,undermines the spirit of equal pay for equal work done,”he stated.
Separately,the National Parents Association Chairman Silas Obuhatsa joined the debate,saying intern teachers have threatened to abscond duty in January if their contacts are extended.
He said these teachers are qualified who deserve better treatment and should be on the official payroll and be assured of their jobs from January.
“If they abscond from work in January, parents are going to suffer and we are seriously and negotiate with TSC to have these teachers employed on permanent and pensionable terms,”Obuhatsa said.

Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary general Collins Oyuu has said there are people inciting intern Junior Secondary School teachers employed on a one year contract to hold demonstrations.

JSS intern teachers have over the past week been decrying and gathering to hold peaceful demos seeking better terms of contract.

“If you want to conduct a demonstration come out to the streets. Don’t misuse these young teachers. We want to advise our colleagues in the other union movements to be steadfast and forthright in handling teachers. And they must be very sincere,” Oyuu said.

The Knut boss spoke on Sunday during a National Executive Council meeting at the head office.

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Oyuu said there is also a group of senior school principals signing recommendation letters to KUPPET for teachers who ought to be in Knut.

“Who gave room for this Principal from a senior school to come and sign a form for a teacher in the comprehensive school? We are watching and we shall not allow you to muscle the law,” he said.

“How for instance do you engage an intern who is not employed as permanent and pensionable to run into the streets? I was talking to some of them this morning, they don’t even know what they are doing.”

Oyuu said what the interns know is that somebody came and incited them to go the streets.

“And I warned them, go to the streets and you shall no longer be an intern. What will you do?” Oyuu said.

He urged the interns to appear before their union representatives and present their grievances.

He said only then will registered trade unionists come out on behalf of the interns to voice their dissatisfaction with their contracts.

“I want you to watch this space. Right from Monday and the climax shall be the annual delegates conference addressing the plight of the interns and addressing the plight of comprehensive school teachers in matters engagement with trade unions and where they should lie within the law,” he said.

Oyuu said the Teachers Service Commission employed a large number of teachers under the arrangements of interns to address teacher shortages at all levels.

He said most of these teachers are lapsing their contractual terms and do not know what to do or how the commission will handle their cases.

“To be precise, the contract of the first cohort of 20,000 JSS intern teachers is coming to an end on December 31, 2023. Yet the commission has not made any communication to them on what will happen,” he said.

Another cohort of 1000 primary school teachers is ending on April 1, 2024, and the other cohort of 450 secondary school teachers is coming to an end on the same date.

The contract of the second cohort of 18,000 Junior Secondary School teachers is coming to an end on September 1, 2024, the same applies to 2,000 teachers on the same terms in primary schools.

“Knut demands that in the ongoing review of the code of regulations of Teachers; clauses 56 and 58 be removed because they contravene International Labour Conventions and Laws and also the Labour Relations Act, 2007 clause 5. (1),” Oyuu said.

The union further said the fact that the teachers on contracts have served well and with distinction, the commission should without subjecting them to any other prejudice, convert them to permanent and pensionable upon the expiry of their contractual period.

Oyuu said the teachers must be given priority in the impending hiring of teachers in 2024.