JSS Crisis Looms as Teachers Threaten to Down Tools in January
In January, thousands of intern teachers will refuse to return to work unless the government fulfills the agreed-upon commitment to hire them on permanent and pensionable terms. This stance poses a potential disaster for the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).
In order to solve the challenge of teacher shortages, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) recruited 46,000 intern teachers to bridge the gap. 21,500 of these are teaching JSS.
President William Ruto has assured JSS interns of employment after two years of service last Sunday.
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At State House, Ruto stated that the government typically follows the practice of having intern teachers work for two years before offering permanent and pensionable employment.
Ruto stated that JSS intern teachers would commence their work in January, reiterating the earlier commitment that they must undergo a two-year internship before transitioning to permanent and pensionable employment.
However, the interns have expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangement. They asserted their qualifications and TSC registration, expressing bewilderment at the treatment akin to individuals still in college training.
Instead of receiving a salary, they are receiving a stipend, a situation they find perplexing given their professional standing.
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The interns said they will not return to work when schools reopen, despite a court judgment from Justice Byram Ongaya that TSC should not terminate their contracts over the matter.
The judge instructed TSC not to discontinue internship agreements until he hears and decides on the case filed before him.
Yesterday, the instructors, united under the banner of JSS National Interim Leadership, urged TSC to follow the terms of the agreement and the court ruling.
“The existing court order affects 21,500 JSS interns, and their failure to report to schools come January 8, 2024, could lead to an educational crisis,” said Mr Bornface Omari, who read a statement on their behalf.
The teachers assert that the initial agreement outlined their work as interns for one year on a non-renewable contract before receiving offers for permanent jobs. They express confusion over the extension of the agreement to two years.
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“From January, we will down tools to paralyse learning in JSS unless we are employed on permanent and pensionable terms.”
The instructors accused Ruto’s government of attempting to pressure them into agreeing to a new contract that contradicted the one they signed.
Evans Ochieng, a teacher from Nairobi, reported that their members have received calls to sign new contracts, and they lack information about these contracts.
He expressed the confusion around the push to sign these contracts and emphasized their stance: “No permanent jobs, no teaching.” Ochieng mentioned that they have been in court, have an order, and asserted that they will not return to class.
On December 19, 2023, the labor court issued a clear directive, prohibiting TSC and the Ministry of Education from altering the terms of the internship contracts until the legal processes are concluded.
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The contracts were supposed to expire on December 31, 2023. The contracts stipulate that they are not renewable, therefore any attempts to extend the internships beyond January are futile.
JSS Crisis Looms as Teachers Threaten to Down Tools in January
