After the pay deal, teachers must deliver

There was a sigh of collective relief when teachers finally penned a salary deal with their employer, the Teachers Service Commission. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement is a culmination of meetings initiated by President Uhuru Kenyatta last year.

Hopefully, the deal that guarantees career growth besides increased emoluments, ushers in an era of less friction between teachers and their employer and marks an end to endless strikes that have been the norm for the past nine years.

Most importantly, especially for parents and students, it means national examinations will not be disrupted this time, as was the case last year. Mercifully, for the next five years the Kenya National Union of Teachers or Kenya Union will not call for industrial action to press for a salary raise.

Before the deal, there had been fears of more industrial action given the hard-line stance taken by both parties. At one time, Knut officials even walked out threatening to torpedo the talks.

Now we expect the teachers to do their part of the bargain; they will have to perform their duty conscientiously. Among the causes of dismal performance especially in public schools are the frequent strikes that disrupt learning and lead to poor preparations for exams and teacher absenteeism.

Usually, teachers absent themselves from work because they are demotivated or have to moonlight to make ends meet, or in the worst case scenario, are plainly lethargic. That has to stop. And that is why this newspaper advocates for performance appraisals for the teaching profession.

Absenteeism denies students the much-needed teacher-student contact time that is hugely significant in overall student mental development and ultimately, academic performance.

Needless to say therefore that every employer expects better returns from an employee whose terms have been improved. Taxpayers expect no less from teachers. It is now time for them to deliver.