Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has warned that if issues currently affecting Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers are not addressed, learners risk getting low standard education.
Speaking to Education News yesterday after concluding their JSS interns’ demonstration, KUPPET Narok Executive Secretary Charles Ng’eno said that the current state of JSS intern teachers is unacceptable and TSC needs to move with speed to urgently address them.
“These are demotivated teachers, demoralized, underpaid and if we are not careful, the children will not get their rights because these are people who are overworked. Imagine somebody taking 34 lessons in a week! We are basing our argument on that so the TSC must listen to that,” said Ng’eno.
The KUPPET Narok boss also stated that their countrywide demonstration was as a result of TSC appealing the recent ruling of the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) which was delivered by Justice Bryam Ongaya, adding that the commission has short-changed the teachers since it promised to employ them on permanent and pensionable terms after one year.
“TSC has also said these interns may not be guaranteed employment. This is now shifting the goal posts because they told us that they will be confirmed in a year’s time now we are going to 2 years. We see this as an attempt to sabotage the government and we are saying that if TSC is not ready to confirm these interns, then the whole commission needs to be overhauled and have new people in office who are ready to listen to the teachers of this country,” added Ng’eno.
In their petition which they presented to Narok County TSC Director, the union now demands that the commission immediately confirms the JSS interns on permanent and pensionable terms, withdraws its appeal on the ruling and implement the directives by the court, and respect the order prohibiting it from recruiting and employing teachers as interns henceforth since its constitutional and statutory mandate is to only employ duly qualified and registered teachers.
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By Roy Hezron
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