By John Majau
Chuka/ Igambang’ombe constituency of the Tharaka-Nithi County has a shortage of 924 teachers with Igambang’ombe region being the hardest hit due to lack of hardship allowance leading to exodus of teachers to greener pastures.
Chuka/Igambang’ombe KNUT branch Executive Secretary Njeru Mutani said secondary schools in the area urgently need 697 teachers while those at primary level require 227 teachers in order to contain the shortage.
Speaking in Chuka town during an educational forum, Mutani said that currently no teacher is willing to be posted to the zones which do not enjoy hardship allowances, noting that Igambang’ombe region has officially been declared a harsh area courtesy of a gazette notice volume CX1X80 number 5853.
Mutani urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to employ at least 924 new teachers in the constituency in order to alleviate the biting shortage of teachers experienced in many schools in the area.
He said currently the country has a shortage of 100 000 teachers and called on the TSC to recruit and immediately post new teachers. Chuka/ Igambang’ombe Sub County needs at least 924 teachers.
He said this year there was an unprecedented high number of students joining secondary schools after the Government made it free of charge, noting that this will make it almost impossible for the limited number of teachers to handle the high population of the students.
The KNUT official challenged the National Government to set aside more funds to recruit more teachers.
