KNUT Calls for Increased Allowances for Teachers in Hardship Areas
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) is pushing for increased allowances in working in hardship areas. The Teachers union points constant threat of banditry as one of the challenges faced by tutors in hardship zones.
KNUT’s national vice chairperson, Joseph Malel Langa’t, stressed the necessity of improving the social and economic status of teachers in these regions to boost motivation. Langa’t, in a reported speech, highlighted the recent tragic incidents of teachers being killed by bandits in Baringo and Samburu counties.
ALSO READ: 11 Factors TSC Teachers Must Consider Before Working in Hardship Areas
Addressing the security concerns, Langa’t called for the deployment of more National Police Reservists (NPRs) to schools in bandit-prone areas. He urged the government to designate these regions as disturbed, urging the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure an adequate deployment of teachers for the students’ education.
Expressing additional worries, Knut officials highlighted the insufficient infrastructure in many schools, such as the lack of staff quarters, staff rooms, electricity, and water. This has resulted in teachers and students relying on makeshift facilities in trading centers.
Fair Treatment of Newly Hired Teachers
The union staunchly rejected the TSC Amendment Bill 2024, asserting its punitive nature and the disregard for teachers’ interests. Knut officials advocate for the inclusion of newly employed teachers in favorable schemes for permanent and pensionable staff to enhance their welfare.
ALSO READ: TSC Hardship Areas in Kenya, 2024 [List]
Martin Sembelo, Knut Secretary-General in West Pokot, drew attention to the acute shortage of teachers in marginalized regions. Sembelo called for heightened security measures, especially in Masol and Tikiti, where extreme temperatures negatively impact teachers’ work.
Sembelo criticized the government’s decision to suspend the Edu Afya medical cover for learners, expressing concern about its adverse effects on vulnerable students from impoverished families, many of whom have dropped out of school due to economic hardships.
Sammy Borr, representing Rift Valley in the Knut National Executive Council, criticized the parliamentary Education Committee for summoning union officials for teacher data, asserting that the TSC should handle such information.
ALSO READ: TSC Hardship Allowance for Teachers; 2024
KNUT Calls for Increased Allowances for Teachers in Hardship Areas
