Magoha Urge Kuppet To Postpone Planed Teachers’ Strike Until The End Of KCPE, KCSE National Exams.
Prof George Magoha, Cabinet Secretary for Education, has sent a message to teachers ahead of their planned nationwide strike, which is set to begin during the national examinations period.
On Thursday, February 24, during the commissioning of a new classroom at Poiywek Secondary School in Kericho County, the education CS publicly pleaded with teachers in an attempt to avert the impending mass strike.
Magoha pleaded with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) to postpone the planned strike so that both the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations could take place uninterrupted.
The KCPE exams will take place from March 7 to 10, while the KCSE exams will begin on March 11.
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Instead, he requested that the union withdraw the strike notice and reschedule it after the national exams were completed. Justifying his stance, the CS stated that if they put down their tools, it would ruin the students’ education and even disrupt the entire academic calendar.
“In terms of exams, I believe we are prepared and would like to thank our teachers. In addition, I would publicly request that KUPPET withdraw their strike notice "Magoha stated this.
He added, ” Our children are not like chase pieces to be played with. It is their democratic right to issue a statement of strike but the children belong to everybody including themselves. So I want to plead with them to suspend that strike and if possible to issue it after exams are concluded, it will be fair game for the children.“
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Magoha also sent a message to parents, assuring them that despite the impending crisis, the planned national exams will take place.
"The exams will go ahead as planned,” the CS said, thanking teachers for their efforts in preparing students.
KUPPET, led by Secretary-General Akello Misori, issued a seven-day strike notice on Thursday, February 23, criticizing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for failing to reopen talks on their 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
KUPPET Issues 7-Day Ultimatum For TSC To Effect 30-75% Teacher’s Pay Increase
Misori defended their decision to suspend operations, noting that they had written to TSC on January 17 demanding that the CBA be reopened within 21 days.
Teachers, according to the CBA, are seeking raises ranging from 30% to 70%, as well as other benefits.
The talks broke down after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) signed a non-monetary CBA with TSC after Secretary-General Collins Oyuu took over after Wilson Sossion was ousted.
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Magoha Urge Kuppet To Postpone Planed Teachers’ Strike Until The End Of KCPE, KCSE National Exams
