Striking Teachers Defy Court as Meetings Fail to Break Deadlock
Following an unproductive meeting on Monday, another round of discussions occurred between Members of Parliament (MPs) and Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) led the strike, and the Budget Committee and Education Committee met with the teachers to convince them to end it. However, these efforts did not resolve the situation.
After the meeting, JSS spokesperson Boniface Omari conveyed the teachers’ unwavering support for the strike. He clarified that despite meeting with Ndindi Nyoro, the Chairman of the National Assembly Budget Committee, and Julius Melly, the Chair of the Education Committee, they received no commitments regarding their grievances.
Omari clarified that the intern teachers would only resume teaching once they received their demands.
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He emphasized that the teachers had fully withdrawn their labor and were participating in the strike, viewing Kuppet as their advocate for securing employment.
Government response and court intervention
Ndindi Nyoro reassured the teachers that Parliament fully supported converting all 46,000 JSS interns into permanent and pensionable employees, stating that the budget for this initiative was available.
He advised the teachers to engage with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to clarify timelines and processes. Despite these assurances, Monday’s meetings did not yield tangible results. As a result, the court issued a temporary halt to the strike on Tuesday.
Today, the TSC and Kuppet have scheduled another meeting to discuss ending the strike. Julius Migos, the Education Cabinet Secretary, stated that they had either resolved or were negotiating the teachers’ demands.
Migos urged teachers who had not resumed work to return to their duties, noting that all public school teachers would receive their July and August salary raises by Friday.
The government’s promise to secure permanent and pensionable employment for JSS intern teachers lies at the heart of the strike. Earlier negotiations had agreed to employ 26,000 teachers in the first phase starting this July.
However, with ongoing lobbying, the outcome of the strike remains uncertain, as Kuppet has yet to instruct its members to return to work.
Government’s Strategy to Maintain School Operations
In response to the strike, the government has taken steps to ensure that school operations continue uninterrupted. The TSC has entrusted principals and school heads with the responsibility of maintaining school activities.
Additionally, the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) urged parents to send their children back to school despite the strike. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and TSC, KESSHA assured parents and students of their safety during this time.
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“KESSHA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the TSC, would like to assure all parents and learners nationwide that the learners’ welfare and well-being will be safeguarded while in the institutions of learning,” said Willy Kuria, the Kessha chairman.
Striking Teachers Defy Court as Meetings Fail to Break Deadlock
