Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu has called upon Ministry of Education officials to accord teachers the respect they deserve and to stop frustrating them.
Speaking at Mbooni during the burial of the same branch executive secretary, George Kioko Muiya, who died of diabetes, Oyuu noted that he will demand justice for teachers, especially the retiring ones.
“Teaching needs a lot of harmonious relationships for great performance. We will not allow any teacher to be frustrated. We want teachers to be treated with the fairness they deserve, especially the old ones, where many are hypertensive and diabetic, among other diseases, and that’s a fact I must say,” Oyuu said.
He raised that Mbooni Sub-county has serious issues, and he will raise them with the PS for education.
At the same time, he noted that no primary school headteacher should be joked with since they are not just mere teachers as they are seen or taken by some fellow.
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“”Msicheze na watu na msitutusi (don’t play with people or insult us), some of us are and were better than you. We know your history. Teaching is about experience and continuous learning, which makes you a great teacher. Professor Karega Mutahi was a P2 teacher and kept on learning till he became a professor. Do not despise anyone at all,” SG said.
He reminded some of the teachers who frequent court corridors because of mere issues that they should leave that to technocrats and concentrate on class, since they can’t get all the time to teach and frequent the courts, learners will suffer ”We know who sponsored you to court, but our interest is for learners. We want sober people in the education sector,” he added.
He reminded teachers that, as a union, they have fought to have the promotion allocation raised from sh 1 billion to 2 billion. He called upon TSC to employ overaged teachers not employed by TSC under affirmative action, adding that some are over 45 years old and have not yet tasted a cent from the government.
“Are you telling me a teacher will retire before going to class to teach?, No, this should change forever,” he added.
The Secretary General encouraged more teachers to join KNUT, adding that they have fought so hard to make the union stable again after the government tried to split it in 2021.
He said that the union has 170,000 members, a very encouraging number.
By Lydia Ngoolo
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