Education PS Belio Kipsang Urge KUPPET Teachers to End Strike
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing the concerns raised by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and called on teachers to return to the classroom.
He emphasized the importance of secondary school students preparing for national exams in October.
During his inspection of the back-to-school program and Grade 9 preparedness in Narok County, Dr. Kipsang highlighted the government’s commitment despite the prevailing economic challenges.
He announced the release of Sh13.5 billion to implement the second phase of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) beginning July 1, 2024.
Financial Allocations for Education
The PS revealed the government’s financial contributions to education, announcing the release of Sh21.8 billion for capitation. This amount includes Sh14 billion for secondary schools, Sh6 billion for junior secondary schools (JSS), and Sh1.6 billion for primary schools.
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He mentioned that the government disbursed capitation funds before schools reopened and ensured all schools received their allocations by Tuesday.
Infrastructure Development for Junior Secondary Schools
Dr. Kipsang also discussed the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance educational infrastructure, specifically for Grade 9 learners in JSS.
The government is building 17,000 classrooms, with development partners supporting 11,000 and the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) funding 7,000.
He assured that the government would distribute books for Grade 9 by October and recruit 20,000 new teachers, on top of the 56,000 hired last year, to meet the growing demand across all education levels.
Addressing teachers’ grievances
The Principal Secretary expressed gratitude to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) for withdrawing their strike notice and reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing the grievances of teachers and advancing the education agenda.
Meanwhile, Narok Kuppet branch officials initiated a strike, accusing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of failing to fully implement the 2021-2025 CBA.
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Kuppet, led by Narok branch executive secretary Charles Ngeno and Chairman Samson Soit, demanded the promotion of 130,000 teachers who have stagnated in the same job group, as well as the conversion of intern teachers to permanent and pensionable status, effective July 2024.
Kuppet’s Concerns
Ngeno raised concerns over the state of the teachers’ medical cover, claiming it was nearing collapse despite the allocation of Sh8 billion in the current financial year.
He emphasized the need for the confirmation of JSS teachers, the promotion of teachers who have remained in one job group for over a decade, and the renewal of career progression guidelines.
Education PS Belio Kipsang Urge KUPPET Teachers to End Strike
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