The Kenya Teachers Pressure Group (KTPG) has issued a statement calling attention to what it describes as the “deplorable state of affairs” within the teaching profession in Kenya.
The group alleges that systemic corruption and mismanagement have left teachers demoralized, impoverished and overworked, with dire consequences on the quality of education in the country.
In a strongly worded press release, KTPG claims that the billions of shillings allocated annually to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for teacher salaries have been siphoned through a network of corrupt cartels and compromised union leaders.
This, the group asserts, has resulted in shrinking salaries, increasing deductions and nonexistent benefits for teachers, pushing many into severe financial distress.
“Billions of the tax payers’ monies are poured into the TSC coffers by the exchequer to pay teachers, ostensibly to fund the vital national service of providing quality education to the Kenyan child. Sadly this has evolved into the greatest corruption debacle of the century,” reads the statement.
YOU MAY ALSO READ:
Major teacher unions’ top organs call weekend meetings ahead of Monday strike
KTPG argues that the fragmentation of teacher unions, driven by political motives, has weakened the collective bargaining power of teachers. Instead of protecting their members, the unions have allegedly become vehicles of corruption, with union leaders accused of colluding with State and TSC officials to exploit teachers.
“This was implemented by fragmentation of the teacher union into numerous sectoral sub-unions with the misguided political motive of divide and rule on the teacher numerical force that could easily be compromised and continuously put at cross purpose with each other,” the statement reads.
The group highlights the plight of teachers who are burdened by mounting debts, inadequate medical coverage and delayed pensions despite multiple deductions on their payslips for these services.
The group also paints a grim picture of the mental and physical toll this situation has taken on teachers, citing instances of depression, alcoholism, and even suicide among educators.
“Some teachers have sunk into alcoholism, depression and mental illness. Some have committed suicide,” the statement reads on.
In response to this crisis, KTPG is demanding immediate action from education stakeholders, including the resignation of current national union leaders and an independent audit of the TSC’s management of teacher medical insurance. They are also calling for the establishment of a commission to investigate existing union practices and propose reforms to prevent further exploitation of teachers.
“We call upon the education stakeholders and the entire nation to wake up to the reality that a failed teacher labour movement will largely be detrimental to the whole education sector,” KTPG warns, emphasizing the potential for socio-economic fallout if the situation is not addressed.
The group vows to pursue these demands through all available constitutional means, including direct industrial action and legal proceedings, to ensure that the rights of Kenyan teachers are upheld and that their working conditions are improved.
By Frank Mugwe
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
