Solve problems facing teachers in North Eastern, State told

Kenya: The more than 2,000 teachers stationed in three counties in the North Eastern region are willing to return to work if the county governments and the teachers’ employer address their issues.

The Standard has established the teachers have staged a protest at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) head office over a raft of issues they say threaten their security in Mandera, Wajir and Garissa. It emerged that the management of national examinations in the three counties, discrimination against non-local teachers and lack of voice in public schools’ leadership are at the heart of discontent.

Religious intolerance and lack of growth opportunities in the teaching profession have also been cited as major reasons hindering the teachers’ return to work. A document prepared by the teachers’ representative and seen by The Standard shows social issues dominate the list.  They allege that, in some places, non-locals pay more rent than locals. “For instance, a non-local teacher pays Sh5,000 rent while a teacher from the local community pays Sh1,500,” reads the document.

It further claims: “There are stringent conditions attached to the rented premises such as not being allowed to play Christian music or receive visitors.”

The document dubbed “Insecurity concerns of teachers from North Eastern counties” also cites management of national examinations as another concern. The teachers said, in some cases, “whenever teachers expose cases of cheating they are threatened and in many instances assaulted”.

Locals outnumbered

“Students say it is their right to cheat in national examinations. Teachers are also expected by some administrators and members of the community to help students cheat,” alleged the teachers.

They also claimed that non-local teachers are not given an opportunity to head the schools.

“These are the real issues and these teachers need the assurance from the county governments and the TSC,” said a teacher who declined to be named as she is not authorised to speak to the Press.

Statistics from the TSC show non-local teachers outnumber the local ones.

In Mandera, there are 1,406 teachers. Of these, 607 are from the local community while 799 are non-locals. Wajir County has 1,355 teachers with 694 being locals while 661 are non-locals.

And Garissa has 1,328 teachers with 964 of them being from outside the county. Only 364 are from the local community.

TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni yesterday said high-level meetings have been held to address the teachers’ concerns.

“We hope teachers will return to their stations once an amicable agreement is reached,” said Lengoiboni.