JSS Teachers Nationwide Strike Intensifies As Court Orders Intern Teachers Back To Class
Junior secondary school (JSS) learning for the second term faced disruption nationwide as teachers initiated a countrywide protest demanding permanent and pensionable employment terms.
In various towns, including Narok, Nyeri, Meru, Nyamira, and Machakos counties, JSS teachers refrained from teaching, leaving students who returned to school on Monday without instruction.
The demand for permanent absorption and a pay review prompted teachers to take to the streets, emphasizing their need for compensation and confirmation in their roles.
Gikundi Karuti, a teacher from Meru, stated, “We must receive compensation and receive confirmation in our roles today, tomorrow, and in the days to come.”
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Francis Wanjohi of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) in Nyeri supported the teachers’ cause, stating, “These are qualified teachers; they have graduated; they have TSC numbers and teaching licenses; we fail to see why they are deemed unsuitable for employment.”
Despite the protests, the Employment and Labour Relations Court convened virtually to address the matter.
Principal Judge Byram Ongaya revisited a previous ruling that deemed intern teacher positions illegal.
The court ordered a return to the status quo, halting the implementation of the April 17th judgment until August 1st, to allow for negotiations or legal appeals.
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In response to the court’s decision, the petitioners contended that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) lacked the financial means to comply with the ruling, particularly in converting the 46,000 interns to permanent and pensionable terms.
The National Assembly’s lack of appropriations for the current fiscal year was the cause of this financial constraint.
JSS Teachers Nationwide Strike Intensifies As Court Orders Intern Teachers Back To Class
