There might be hope in the offing for teachers hired by public schools’ Boards of Management as the state is considering to compensate them.
A report by People Daily on Thursday, July 23, indicated that the Ministry of Education was considering paying the lot after it emerged that they were among the worst-hit category since the Covid-19 pandemic struck the country.
Quoting Education CAS Zackary Kinuthia, the publication further noted that the stipend was aimed at sustaining the teachers who have so far gone for months without pay.
“As government, we have heard their cries. I want to assure them something will be done.
“We expect whatever the Government will do on this matter, the BoM will consider not just the BoM teachers but also the rest of the BoM staff such as cooks, matrons and even watchmen,” stated Kinuthia.
He further noted that the situation had grown dire for the tutors as they depended on the management for their daily bread.
Our attempt to reach the CAS was, however, futile as he did not pick our calls.
Since the pandemic struck, a section of teachers have turned to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Kazi Mtaani initiative to make ends meet.
The National Hygiene Program (NHP), dubbed Kazi Mtaani, is a national initiative designed to cushion the most vulnerable but able-bodied citizens living in informal settlements from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enlisted workers earn a daily wage of Kshs 400 and payments are made once a week through mobile money transfer.
Private school teachers and teachers enrolled in the Board of Management (BOM) programs were the most affected by CS Magoha’s directive as government affirmed that public school teachers would receive their monthly salaries during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The youth program is now offering a chance to some of the affected teachers to earn a living as others resort to various menial jobs such as construction.
As part of the state’s plan to have a conducive learning environment when state decides to open schools, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) boss Wilson Sossion argued that the plan would be unsuccessful if a deficit of 400,000 teachers was not covered for the new teacher-student ratio to be implemented.
In this effect, he suggested that all teachers hired by school boards to be absorbed by the Teachers Service Commission to boost the Numbers
This voice should mature to bring brothers home