JSS Intern Teachers in Kilifi County Demand Compensation, Threaten Strike
If the government does not confirm them as permanent and pensionable employees and compensate them for their time as interns, Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers in Kilifi County have vowed to put down their tools.
Addressing the media at a peaceful demonstration in Kilifi on Monday, the intern teachers accused their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), of abusing and violating their rights.
Azani Ngumbao, a JSS intern teacher, stated that they were requesting the government to confirm and compensate them for the duration of their internship. They wanted the TSC to acknowledge the court’s ruling that internships were illegal.
The court recently declared that TSC’s internship program is unconstitutional because providing internship employment to qualified teachers with teaching licenses violates their right to fair labor practice.
He stated that the Ksh. 20,000 monthly gross compensation is insufficient to meet their demands and that it is subject to tax deductions that other permanent employees pay.
Ngumbao stated that more than 1,200 JSS teachers in the county will not report to their duty stations when schools return for the second term in 2024.
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Andrew Lelei, another JSS intern, stated that failing to address the teachers’ demands will jeopardize the implementation of the competency-based curriculum (CBC).
He stated that the program relies on intern teachers to be successful.
Lelei stated that the interns had been enduring hardships for an extended period. He mentioned that they were being utilized to advance the CBC program without receiving compensation or official confirmation.
Lelei warned that failure to address their concerns would jeopardize the integrity of the CBC program.
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He said that some Members of Parliament are handing out employment letters to fresh graduates while leaving older graduates without permanent jobs.
JSS Intern Teachers in Kilifi County Demand Compensation, Threaten Strike
