The chairperson of the National Assembly’s Education Committee Julius Melly has issued a fervent plea to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to reinstate teachers who had been interdicted following a series of tumultuous events.
Speaking during a gathering in Tinderet Constituency, Nandi County, Melly said the genesis of this matter can be traced to the teachers’ principled stand against what they perceived as a grave threat to their safety in Northern Kenya, particularly the North Eastern region.
“These dedicated educators, in their quest for a safer and more conducive working environment, had previously embarked on a journey to the TSC headquarters in Nairobi to stage a protest, raising their voices against the looming spectre of insecurity that had cast a pall over their daily lives,” Melly said.
He further asserted that the TSC had regrettably turned a deaf ear to the legitimate concerns of these valiant teachers.
He emphasized the unequivocal stance that no educator should ever be compelled to impart knowledge under the looming shadow of threats and insecurity.
He elucidated the inherent challenges of teaching when the very life is at stake, drawing a poignant picture of the daunting obstacles that hinder both the act of instructing and the act of learning in such an environment.
Melly implored them to gain a firsthand understanding of the harsh reality faced by teachers posted in the perilous environs of Mandera, a region marred by Al Shabaab threats and local hostility.
He called for the commissioners to experience, even if briefly, the life of a teacher grappling with the daily perils that have become an unfortunate norm.
“The crux of the teachers’ unrest lies in their relentless pursuit of safer working conditions owing to the hostile environment that they have found themselves in,” he added.
TSC, in a directive issued in September, had sternly ordered the teachers to return to their designated workstations.
This directive was swiftly followed by the interdiction letters, citing a breach of the Teachers Service Commission Act.
The specific charge levelled against them was the violation of the Act underlining their desertion of duty from September 9, 2023, onwards.
The teachers, as outlined in formal letters from the TSC, are provided with a prescribed appeal process to address the allegations brought against them.
They are granted the opportunity to present their defence within a 21-day window, with the assurance of an in-person hearing by the commission.
Additional stipulations include designating the nearest TSC sub-county offices for monthly reporting, providing corroborative pieces of evidence, and relinquishing annual leave entitlements.
The MP’s impassioned call for reinstatement shines a spotlight on the pressing need to harmonize the teachers’ genuine safety concerns with the responsibilities of the TSC, fostering an environment where educators can continue to shape the future of the nation without the looming spectre of violence.
By Viola Chepkemoi
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