Learning in several schools in the volatile North Eastern region has been disrupted following the move by teachers in the region to abscond their duties in search of transfers to safer regions.
Steven Wafula, a Mandera-based teacher, has spent weeks camped outside TSC headquarters in Nairobi, repeatedly seeking an audience with TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia to no avail.
Samuel Nyakundi, another teacher, expressed frustration at the lack of response from the TSC and called Tinderet MP Julius Melly, who is also the chair of the parliamentary committee on education, to intervene and mediate with the TSC to address the issue and facilitate their transfers.
Joseph Otoyo highlighted the daunting challenges posed by insecurity, impassable roads, and poor communication infrastructure.
He lamented that as a result of insecurity, many teachers have not returned to school and live in caves, reminiscent of hunted animals.
As a result of the insecurity in the region, many teachers have lost their lives.
Luanda MP Dick Maungu questioned the ability of traumatized teachers to deliver quality education, while Mandera South MP Hon Haro Abdul questioned how much time such teachers actually spend with their students when they are preoccupied with transfer requests.
The challenge for the government lies in finding suitable replacements and local tutors in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) regions, in line with the commission’s statutory obligation of ensuring equitable distribution and optimal utilization of teachers in all public institutions for quality education in Kenya.
By Amoto Ndiewo
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