By Boniface Mulu
A teachers’ union has asked President William Ruto and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to come up with workable mechanisms to address a myriad of issues besetting the educators.
Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers (Kuppet) Kitui County branch also made a fresh pitch for teachers unions to be part of the task force evaluating the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“We have not seen any teachers’ union in the task force,” Executive Secretary Benjamin Mutia said when the county joined the rest of Kenya and the world in marking this year’s World Teachers Day. “The transformation of education begins with teachers” was the theme of this year’s event.
President Ruto appointed the 42-member taskforce to evaluate the country’s education system last month. The team is expected to make recommendations for review of the legislations with a view to addressing “duplication, ambiguities, efficiency, constraints and improving linkages.”
Speaking to Education News in his office Mutia said that teachers in the country face a myriad of problems and asked President Ruto and TSC to look into them for the benefit of the tutors.
“There was no the increase for our salaries in the country last year. The cost of living is high. The prices of oil and other things are high while our salaries continue weakening,” Mutia said. He also asked TSC to employ more teachers to deal with the high deficit in the country.
“The country’s new education system- the Competence Based Curriculum requires many teachers for it to succeed,” the unionist said.
Mutia also raised issue of teachers’ medical insurance cover, noting that it should be utilised well for the good of teachers.
“The health of the teachers in the country is not well taken care of. I can say the teacher’s health is important as a healthy teacher is important and can teach properly,” he added.
The unionist also asked TSC to promote teachers, saying that some of the teachers remain in one job group for 10 years without promotions by the commission that manages human resources within the education sector.
“It can make a teacher retire without becoming either a principal or deputy principal,” Mutia added.
Kitui Early Childhood Education Training Centre director Patrick Mbunzi who also spoke to Education News during the celebrations lauded teachers globally for the role they play as educationists.
Mbunzi is a retired high school teacher and former Kenya Early Childhood Education Private Training Institutions Association National Treasurer described teaching as a very noble profession.
