Headteachers across the country are decrying mounting pressure from both the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) after the two institutions scheduled separate tree planting exercises within days of each other, forcing schools to dig into their own pockets to meet the demands.
TSC had directed all schools to conduct a tree planting exercise between September 29 and October 5, supervised by its field officers, with each headteacher required to record the number of seedlings planted and upload the data to the Jaza Miti app.
Barely a week later, the Ministry of Education, through a circular from the Principal Secretary, instructed schools to again plant trees, this time fruit seedlings on October 10 to mark Mazingira Day.
The double directive has sparked frustration among headteachers, who say the back-to-back activities have strained their already tight schedules and personal finances.
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“We are always instructed to source funds to buy seedlings, yet there is no vote head for that. Many of us are forced to use our own money to satisfy both the employer and the Ministry,” lamented Abdi, a dejected school head.
Others questioned why TSC and MoE could not harmonize their environmental activities to avoid disrupting school programmes, especially during the busy third term when national assessments are approaching.
“This is third term when teachers are preparing learners for exams. The two institutions should coordinate better,” said Abuga, a board member in a Kisii school.
Stakeholders have called on the Ministry to allocate funds for tree planting in school capitation to ease the burden on administrators. Kenya targets to plant 15 billion trees by 2032, with an estimated 481 million already planted by the end of 2024.
By Kaptich Tarus
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