Teachers holding P1 certificates in Elgeyo Marakwet County are up in arms over discrimination by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The teachers lamented that TSC has prioritised diploma and degree holders despite having undergone the same training and curriculum.
The group, led by Doreen Kiptoo, pointed out their numerous hardships, and their calls for leadership intervention fell on deaf ears.
“Life is so difficult. She noted that I graduated in 2016, which has been struggling to get a job without success,” she noted.
Kiptoo, a 2016 graduate, says she has sought employment, even spending the night outside TSC offices, without success, a situation that has left her hopeless.
“All we want is fairness. We have lost hope and don’t know what the future looks like, and we ask the government to listen to us,” added Kiptoo.
READ ALSO: ECDE l Busia County Drama and Film Festivals, advance to regionals
Milka Chelagat, for her part, questioned why P1 teachers from the county had not been hired since 2014. Yet, neighbouring counties have had the teachers hired up to 2018, yet their county has a lower population.
“I graduated in 2014 and have been looking for employment for 10 years. I have suffered a lot looking for a job. I have attended many interviews and even slept on the roads without success,” said Chelagat amid sobs.
The teachers, who have been serving under BOM and private schools, now demand fairness from TSC, adding that the year of graduation should be considered during recruitment.
“We ask the government, especially the County TSC Director, to be fair to teachers. Go to other counties like Uasin Gishu for example. You will find that they are hiring teachers who graduated in 2016, but here in Elgeyo Marakwet, we were in 2014. Yet, here, the population is lower than Uasin Gishu,” added the teachers.
TSC proposed to scrap the certificates and have the lowest cadre of teachers be diploma holders.
Initially, one qualified for a P1 teaching certificate after scoring a D plain, but the Commission now wants to raise the entry grade into the profession to a C plain.
By Kimutai Langat
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
