By Azael Masese
The Council of Governors (COG) has developed a draft scheme of service for Early Child Development Education (ECDE) teachers but admits of its inability to fully meet their salary requirements.
If adopted, COG Education Committee Chair, Prof. Paul Chepkwony said the lucrative package will appreciably improve the teachers’ pay.
The scheme of service proposes a three tier structure for the teachers depending on their level of qualification.
For those with certificates, it establishes six grades with the entry level for an assistant teacher at Job Group F and can rise to the highest in job group L.
In the current TSC grading systems, Job Group F became obsolete but civil servants in a similar grade earn a starting salary of Sh16, 778 per month and a maximum of Sh20, 972.
However, it should be noted that civil servants earn a superior monthly pay compared to teachers in the same job group.
Teachers in Job Group L, which is currently known as C3 had their pay enhanced to a minimum of Sh43, 154 per month, shooting to a maximum of Sh53, 943 from 1st July 2018.
The draft developed with the input of TSC, Ministry of Education, Commission on Salary Remuneration, and ECDE representatives proposes six grades for diploma holders with the entry being Job Group H and exit at Job Group N.
According to the TSC enhanced pay, effective 1st July 2018, the lowest paid P1 Primary school teacher is in Job Group H, which is currently known as B5 earns a minimum of Sh21, 756 per month rising to a maximum of Sh27, 195 per month.
Civil servants in Job Group H, under the enhanced pay have their entry monthly salary at about Sh23, 176 per month rising to a maximum of Sh28, 970 per month.
Teachers under TSC in Job Group N which is currently referred to as C5 earn a minimum of Sh62, 272 and this can peak at Sh77, 840 per month.
There are seven grades for ECDE graduate teachers whose entry is Job Group K and can rise up to Job Group R. Job Group R is for senior principals under the TSC grading system and are the highest paid.
Under the TSC, those in Job Group K which is currently known as C2 earn a minimum monthly salary of Sh34, 955 per month and a maximum of Sh43, 694.
Those in Job Group R are senior principals who earn a minimum of Sh131, 380 rising to Sh157, 656 per month.
“This is only a proposal but will vouch for it through conversation and dialogue among the COG and other stakeholders,” he said.
Prof. Chepkwony said they however intend to hold discussions with the National Government to seek financial support to supplement the equitable shares each county receives.
Counties pay ECDE teachers from the equitable share each receives from the National Government.
However, Prof. Chepkwony remained guarded when asked how much the lowest paid teacher is expected to earn if the scheme of service is adopted.
“This is entirely an expensive programme in terms of remuneration and will need additional financial support from the national Government,” he said adding that the Sh10, 000 majority of the teachers are paid is only a stop gap measure.
Speaking during the first national ECDE consultative meeting at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Prof. Chepkwony called for change of tact if this is to succeed.
“ECDE teachers are the most critical in laying the right foundation in our education pursuit and if we get it wrong, our goose is cooked,” the Kericho County Governor warned.
In most cases, some of the teachers are poorly paid and consequently not properly motivated to bring up the children in the right manner.
Besides, the infrastructure facilities which the learners use are in poor conditions.
Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed agreed that the current wave of school unrest witnessed in the country would be addressed through proper early Childhood Education.
She noted that with teachers carrying placards calling for better remuneration, this might affect the manner they instill virtues and values to the young learners.
KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion called for a proper discussion so that there is better understanding from each stakeholder on how to manage ECDE related programmes.
Sossion urged the President to assent to the County ECDE Bill, 2014 and the adoption of the schemes of work fast-tracked to enable teachers work on a platform of equity.
“There must be a scheme of service in place and this is not negotiable,” Sossion tersely stated.
The battle on who to pay ECDE teachers has raged on for a while, pointing to a disjointed approach in place
While the county governments are mandated to recruit and pay the teachers, they are however not provided with funding from the National Government.
TSC only handles issues that touch on teacher management such as registration and discipline.
This is unlike teachers in primary, secondary and pre secondary institutions where TSC is solely in charge of the welfare of teachers such as recruitment, promotion, transfers and payment.
According to the Ministry of Education, there are over 106,000 trained ECDE teachers in the country with an enrolment of about 3.3 million learners.,
