Bomet KUPPET Branch Executive Secretary, Paul Kimeto, has issued a strong appeal to President William Ruto, urging him to personally intervene and ensure that Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers are confirmed before their contracts expire in December.
Kimeto called on the government to urgently prepare a supplementary budget pecifically dedicated to absorbing all JSS intern teachers into permanent and pensionable terms.
Speaking during a fundraiser in Merigi area, Bomet East sub county on Saturday, he stressed that the budget must be forwarded to Parliament without delay to avoid a looming crisis in the education sector.
“We are asking President William Ruto to intervene directly. The government should prepare a supplementary budget and forward it to Parliament immediately so MPs can approve funds to confirm all JSS intern teachers before their contracts lapse in December,” Kimeto said.
He warned that if the government fails to act, thousands of JSS classrooms across the country could be left without teachers once the current internship agreements come to an end.
According to Kimeto, the interns have worked tirelessly, handling full teaching loads despite their uncertain employment status.
Kimeto urged Members of Parliament to treat this matter as urgent and put aside political interests for the sake of learners.
He insisted that confirming JSS interns is essential to the successful implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“MPs must act responsibly and approve the supplementary budget as soon as it’s presented. The future of our children and the stability of the JSS system depend on these teachers being confirmed,” he added.
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He further highlighted the plight of unemployed trained teachers in Bomet, noting that 60 P1 teachers who graduated as far back as 2008 have still not been absorbed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Many of them, he said, have resorted to giving private tuition or engaging in casual jobs despite being fully qualified.
“It is high time for the TSC to consider these teachers, they used their resources in getting training to be teachers,” said the unionist.
Kimeto urged the government and TSC to move with speed, warning that failure to confirm the interns before December will create a staffing vacuum and disrupt learning nationwide.
By Philip Koech
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