TSC Gives a Warning to Teachers Planning to Abscond Duties

Teachers who fail to report to work today as per the government’s  directive will face disciplinary action, it has now emerged that in  a meeting with school principals last week, Sub- County Directors of Education warned teachers of dire consequences should they fail to resume duty today. The SDES told the teachers it will amount to absconding duty, which is punishable, if they don’t report  to schools today.

Teachers had until today to report to their duty stations without fail to start with the preparation to reopen Schoois. “Teachers will not be allowed to ask for a day off, they must report today and on subsequent days for the tasks directed by the Ministry of Education to run smoothly,” read memo to principals.

Supervise preparations

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Secretary Dr Nancy Macharia asked Regional Directors, TSC County and Sub county Directors to coordi-nate, monitor and supervise preparation of schools exercise to ensure teachers prepare adequately for resumption of learning.

In a circular, Macharia said  teachers must take part in naking adequate arrangements  for reopening. which will include working with relevant stakeholders to ensure thorough cleaning of classes Dorms, ofices,  and all school amenities and ensure that the same are in habitable condibons tor learners.

All teachers are directed to Take part in development of  strategies designed to offer psychological support to learners, parents and stake- holders,” Macharia directed. Today’s conference and subsequent address will shed more light on reopening of school and the calender.

President Uhuru Kenyatta will  lead a national Covid-19 conference, tipped to be a turning point in Kenya’s fight against the coronavirus  disease. The conference is expected to chart forward  a responsible path forward for kenya  wias estabisesour nation establishes the new normal  of adaptation to living with Covid-19.

Presidential address to the nation on the coronavirus pandemic. “The address by the Head of State will unveil the contaïnment measures that will guide Kenya into the new normal,” said Kinyua. The address is expected to, among other issues, give an academic calendar which was suspended in March.

As teachers resume, they are expected to  prepare carriculum delivery materials including  timetables, schemes of work, lesson plans and related activities for carriculum implementation and delivery. They are to develop innovative strategies and mechanisms for curriculum imple- mentation while upholding the Ministry of Health guidelines and protocols for containment of the spread or Covid-19 incuding social distancing and  regular hand washing. use of sanitisers and wearing face masks.

“There should be proper sharing of duties and responsibilities among all teachers while making deliberate efforts to protect staff with underlying conditions,” Machara added. There is sub dividedo as to whether schools should Resume next month or wait until next year, with Kenya Medical Assocation (KMA) saying that reopening must be Systematic,given the Covid-19 circumstances.