Over 20,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers have urged the government to clarify their employment status following the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, 2024.
The JSS teachers expressed their desire to understand whether their promised transition to permanent employment terms will indeed occur.
President William Ruto mentioned that part of the funds the Bill aimed to raise were intended for hiring JSS teachers when he withdrew the Bill.
One of the JSS teachers, who preferred not to disclose their identity, warned that if they are not hired as promised, there will be serious consequences, as they are unwilling to serve another year as interns.
“The President has said there will be budget cuts after he rejected the Finance Bill and we hope the funds set aside for employing teachers will not be affected,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Parents Association stated that the withdrawal of the Bill has left them in uncertainty.
Secretary General Eskimos Kobia cautioned that progress achieved under the new system could be lost if the government does not fulfill its commitments.
The teachers have been serving as interns for a duration of two years.
“There is anxiety over what happens to the JSS intern teachers after the President rejected the Finance Bill meaning a slash in budgetary allocation,” Kobia said.
He mentioned that the teachers are feeling demoralized right now because of the confusion.
“It will be unthinkable to postpone the employment of these teachers because it will make them unproductive and affect the education system,” Kobia said.
YOU MAY ALSO READ:
By Frank Mugwe
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
