JSS Teachers Demand Permanent Employment Before Returning to School
Junior secondary school teachers have sworn not to return to class until the government employs them permanently.
Teachers who protested in the Tigania Central and Imenti North of Meru County accused the government of misusing their services by failing to confirm their permanent and pensionable status after two years as interns.
Speaking to the media, teachers led by Gikundi Karutui lamented the government’s failure to address their concerns and maintain its pledge to confirm around 26,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable contracts.
Karutui asserted that they would not return to class under any circumstances unless the government provided compensation for the time they had worked while being underpaid and confirmed their permanent terms.
The dissatisfied instructors, who went to their respective area Teachers Service Commission (TSC) offices to request addresses, demanded that the government immediately release funds to pay for the TSC’s immediate confirmation of interns.
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Carolyne Gakii, an affected teacher, asserted that they are not afraid of intimidation. She stated that they would continue to strike and disrupt learning activities until the government addressed their grievances.
Gakii emphasized that they cannot afford to continue providing services while receiving low wages under the intern program.
They also accused the TSC of utilizing discriminatory techniques while hiring JSS teachers.
Karutui expressed the desire for TSC to clarify the criteria utilized for placing a 2016 graduate on an internship while hiring a 2023 graduate on a permanent and pensionable basis.
He emphasized the need for transparency in this process, questioning whether such actions could potentially constitute corruption.
At the same time, they asked the commission to follow court rulings imposed by the Employment and Labor Relations Court.
Miriti Avezi, a teacher, questioned why the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) no longer adheres to the formula it previously used for teacher employment based on years of graduation. He expressed his confusion over the deviation from this practice.
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They also stated that TSC should provide a clear timeline for the contract and that the commission should cease ignoring teachers’ welfare.
The massive crowd of protesting teachers also urged the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers to support and press the government to address the issue to allow for a seamless learning experience when schools reopened.
JSS Teachers Demand Permanent Employment Before Returning to School
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