Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Busia branch has rubbished the recent move of the National Assembly Education Committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly of rejecting the list published by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) which promoted 25,252 teachers.
KUPPET Busia Executive Secretary Moffats Okisai maintained that the MPs should instead give more funds to the Commission so that it can promote a total of 178,881 teachers who have stagnated in one job group for long as admitted by TSC.
“The legislators are advocating for the cancellation and revocation of the entire list of the successful candidate as lacking equity. We advocate for Julius Melly-led Education Committee of parliament to request for additional funds for promotion of teachers as a solution to stagnation. TSC has admitted that 178,881 teachers have stagnated and deserve to be promoted,” said Okisai.
According to TSC data, of the 178,881 teachers who have stagnated in one job group for long; a total of 102,768 teachers have stagnated in one job group for between 3 to 5 years with another 9,258 teachers stagnating for a period of between 5 to 7 years, as a total of 66,828 teachers staying in one job group for a period of 7-8 years.
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“Stagnation has resulted to low morale, burnout, frustration, depression, job dissatisfaction and high turnover in the profession. As a union, we beseech MPs to allocate Shs35.5 billion as requested by TSC for mass promotion of teachers,” he added.
Okisai revealed that a total of 518 teachers in Busia County benefited from the recent promotions spread across all the grades as follows: C2-31, C3-109, C4-161, C5-120, D1-38, D2-20, D3-35, D4-3, and D1-1.
Regarding the recent incident where MPs have been issuing employment letters publicly, Okisai stated that the same should stop since it’s a direct interference of independence of the Commission.
“MPs should desist from interference of employment of teachers. In case they employ, let those teachers be under the Parliamentary Service Commission and not Teachers Service Commission,” reiterated Okisai.
At the same time, he has urged the Ministry of Education to timely release second term capitation to schools in good time, together with Shs64 billion that is being owed to schools, adding that parental obligation is lucking in most schools due to a culture of handouts and bursaries that has been inculcated in the minds of parents by politicians.
Okisai has further called on the TSC to employ teachers in both applied and technical studies a head of Grade 10 transition next year.
By Hezron Roy
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