As the world marked Teachers Day on Wednesday, October 5, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Kitui Branch listed their pain points to be addressed by TSC and the Government.
Led by Kioko Mutia, the Secretary of the KUPPET Kitui branch, the teachers said that they celebrated the day despite the challenges they have been facing while doing their job. They requested the National Government to collaborate with the Teachers Service Commission to find an amicable solution to their problems.
The union called for an increment in teachers’ salaries due to the tough economic times noting that the country had not recovered from the effects of covid-19 pandemic
“We call upon the TSC and the Kenyan government to open the channel for Teachers’ Unions to have a conversation on the salaries of teachers because inflation is high. The cost of living has gone up yet our salaries have remained constant. Our salaries need to be increased because after the Covid-19 pandemic life has never been the same and we are affected,” Mutia stated.
They also lamented that there are fewer teachers in school whereas the workloads are much and there is a need to recruit more teachers to serve all the learners. The teachers stated that there are a lot of their colleagues who are yet to be employed by the TSC, especially from the Eastern Region and thus they should come up with a good plan to ensure that those who finish their education get jobs as soon as possible.
“The teachers are having a lot of challenges in making sure they reach all the learners because you find that there are more learners especially because of the 100 percent transition yet the teachers are few. The TSC should employ more teachers, especially since we are moving to CBC which requires many teachers unlike the 8-4-4 education system,” he added.
On matters health, they said that their medical scheme has a lot of challenges. They asked TSC to look for insurance that will cater to their health problems without delays. The money that was allocated for the health scheme was increased from 5.6 billion to 12 billion which translates to more improved health coverage for the teachers but since the increment, the services remained constant. The teachers added that they want to see the value for their money and to access better hospitals and health facilities.
“We also have a problem of teachers staying in the same job group for over 10 years, there is a challenge in how the teachers should be promoted. When TSC brought new job groups it means that without proper consideration some teachers might retire without a dream of becoming either principals or deputy principals,” Kioko added.
On matters of insecurity, they said that the government should increase security officers in areas prone to insecurity because many teachers have been killed especially in Northern Kenya. They also added that teachers should remain in their home counties because natives are not at a big security risk compared to those who come from other counties.
