KUPPET Demand TSC Confirmation of Intern Teachers
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the teacher’s employer have engaged in a dispute regarding the contractual terms of the instructors.
The union has expressed disapproval of the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) recent statement that contract teachers will continue to work for an additional year before reevaluating their terms of service.
Last week, TSC informed members of parliament that interim teachers will not be made permanent and eligible for pensions by the government for an additional year.
Antonina Lentoijoni, director of staffing for the TSC, stated that after two years of service, the terms of employment of the 46,000 teachers will be automatically converted to permanent and pensionable (PNP) status.
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Lentoijoni explained that there are two groups of interns: those who commenced their service on February 1 and those who started on September 1. She clarified that the letters of extension for another year, scheduled for distribution in December, pertain to the interns who began their service in February.
During the appearance of TSC representatives, she spoke to the National Assembly Education Committee, which Julius Melly of Tinderet was chairing.
Yesterday, Kuppet stated that the TSC must honor its prior commitment and promptly convert the teachers to permanent and pensionable status upon the conclusion of their first year of service.
Akelo Misori, secretary general of the Kuppet, stated that the proposal regarding primary and junior secondary school (JSS) teachers presently serving on internship contracts would demoralize them.
Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori pointed out that despite the teachers’ employment contracts explicitly stating their service as interns for a single year, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has failed to initiate the required measures to transition them to permanent positions, effective January 2024, upon the conclusion of their current contracts.
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He posited that educators have demonstrated their allegiance to the country by trying to assist students despite the arduous atmosphere.
“Service on internship is nothing short of a patriotic act. These teachers who have persevered through the challenges of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) transition and learned valuable lessons from the process should be immediately confirmed as permanent and pensionable so that they can help stabilize their institutions in the new year as JSS gets to the second year of Grade Eight,” Misori said.
The union noted that despite receiving a meager salary, educators are liable to pay taxes and statutory deductions like their military counterparts.
In challenging working conditions, teachers have demonstrated resilience, receiving only half of their expected salary. Despite benefiting from medical insurance without contributing to the standard pension scheme for teachers, they find themselves subject to taxation at a level equivalent to their counterparts in the same grade. This includes mandatory housing levy and NSSF contributions, as highlighted by the Kuppet Secretary-General.
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Misori observed that the circumstances for JSS instructors assigned to work under primary school administrators are even more dire.
Some junior secondary school (JSS) teachers in certain schools find themselves compelled to buy their teaching aids, such as textbooks, pens, writing pads, and chalk. This situation arises due to the need for more of these essential supplies in the primary schools where they are stationed.
KUPPET Demand TSC Confirmation of Intern Teachers
