CS Ogamba Pledges Incentives and Career Progression for Teachers.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba assured educators that the government remains dedicated to addressing their challenges, particularly concerning salaries and allowances.
He emphasized that structures have been established to facilitate meaningful dialogue with union officials to tackle these issues.
Ogamba acknowledged the efforts of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) for suspending a planned strike, which was set to begin on August 26, and opting for dialogue.
He noted that the strike would have disrupted critical examinations, such as the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), which commence this month.
He praised teachers for allowing the exams to proceed without interruptions, assuring them that solutions to their concerns are being actively pursued.
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Ogamba disclosed that this year, 1,313,913 candidates will sit for the KPSEA, while 965,501 students will undertake the KCSE examination. In comparison, last year’s figures were slightly lower, with 1,282,574 and 903,260 candidates for KPSEA and KCSE, respectively.
Incentives and Career Progression for Teachers
Speaking during World Teachers Day in Nakuru, Ogamba highlighted the critical role of teachers in national development.
He stressed that teachers are pivotal to ensuring quality education, which necessitates their empowerment, adequate recruitment, fair remuneration, and motivation.
He also mentioned the government’s substantial investment in enhancing teachers’ capacity as part of ongoing education reforms.
To make the teaching profession more appealing, especially to top-performing high school students, the government is working on improving teachers’ working conditions.
“We are putting in place proper incentives which include appropriate remuneration and a clear career progression path. The government is working round the clock to ensure teachers are empowered through provision of decent working condition,” Ogamba stated.
The Education 2030 Agenda
Ogamba, accompanied by KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu, reiterated that the success of the Education 2030 agenda relies on sound policies, effective planning, and a well-trained teaching workforce.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving education quality and implementing mechanisms to track progress.
The CS vowed to ensure that teachers are not only empowered and adequately recruited but also well-trained, motivated, and supported.
To further this goal, the government is working on providing proper incentives, including competitive remuneration and clear career progression paths for educators.
Teachers’ Working Conditions
The right to education, Ogamba noted, requires the recruitment and retention of qualified and motivated teachers who should work in a safe environment.
Teachers must have access to adequate tools and resources, enjoy decent working conditions, and be fairly compensated.
He assured that the government is dedicated to enhancing teachers’ working environments to ensure they are both safe and conducive to professional growth.
The CS also commended KNUT for its efforts in resolving disputes amicably, leading to industrial peace in the education sector.
World Teachers Day Celebration
World Teachers Day, celebrated annually on October 5, marks the anniversary of the 1966 ILO and UNESCO recommendations concerning teachers’ status.
These recommendations set benchmarks for teachers’ rights, responsibilities, recruitment, employment, and working conditions.
Additionally, a 1997 UNESCO recommendation extended these guidelines to higher education teaching personnel.
CS Ogamba Pledges Incentives and Career Progression for Teachers.
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