Striking Teachers Call for JSS Transfer to Secondary Schools and Confirmation of Interns
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Mombasa branch has joined the ongoing Junior Secondary School (JSS) teacher strike, urging the government to address their grievances.
Out of the 350 JSS teachers employed in Mombasa, 256 are on internships, and only 95 are on permanent and pensionable terms. Kamadi stated that Mombasa needs 916 JSS teachers to teach learners in the region’s 98 JSS schools.
The JSS teachers, now in their third week of the strike, vowed not to return to classes until the government addressed their grievances, including putting them on permanent and pensionable terms.
Speaking during a peaceful demo in Mombasa on Monday, Mombasa Kuppet executive secretary Linet Kamadi emphasized that there is no law directing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to hire qualified teachers as interns.
She emphasized that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should have confirmed teachers as permanent and pensionable after their 11-month internships, but instead, they instructed them to renew their internships for a second time.
Kamadi described this as an abuse of their services and the original agreement.
Follow Teachers Updates Page On Facebook
Kamadi also mentioned that the court had instructed TSC to negotiate with the teachers to resolve their grievances, but instead, teachers received show-cause letters from their employers.
She criticized the unrealistic workload, stating that three teachers cannot teach nine lessons, and highlighted the need for enough teachers to ensure effective learning.
“Transfer JSS to secondary schools and confirm them because they are graduates who were taught to teach only two subjects, not every other subject as it is today,” she said.
Mombasa County JSS Interim Chair Kevin declared that they would not succumb to TSC’s threats and insisted on having their grievances addressed.
He pointed out that the syllabus they were teaching was not covered in their university education, and they were only supposed to teach two subjects.
Kevin emphasized that they do not recognize unofficial communication and will not return to school without an official return-to-work formula from the government and TSC.
Kamadi called on the government to consider closing JSS classes until enough teachers are available. She urged President William Ruto to honor his commitment to education by hiring more teachers, reiterating the need for a reliable education that produces scientists.
Kamadi recommended moving JSS from primary to secondary schools to provide access to laboratories and workshops, which are essential for teaching sciences effectively.
In Our Other News: CS Machogu Orders End to UoN Leadership Wrangles
JSS teacher Stanley Wafula expressed frustration over the inadequate pay and poor teaching conditions.
He emphasized that despite covering a full syllabus with 36 lessons, he only receives a salary of Sh17,000.
Wafula also mentioned that the learning environment and the books provided do not match the curriculum, leading to numerous problems that require government intervention for the children’s education.
Striking Teachers Call for JSS Transfer to Secondary Schools and Confirmation of Interns
