Teachers’ unions have renewed calls for reforms in the teaching profession, demanding the promotion of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers, employment of unemployed P1 teachers and greater administrative autonomy for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).
Speaking during World Teachers’ Day celebrations, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) chairman Omboko Milemba said teachers in ECDE remained among the most overlooked despite playing a critical role in laying the foundation for learners’ education.
“On promotions, the forgotten teacher, the teacher who is not here and who must be sought to be brought here. That is the ECDE,” Milemba said.
He criticised what he described as inconsistencies in the treatment of teachers’ remuneration and collective bargaining agreements, arguing that ECDE teachers should also benefit from recommendations and policies governing their welfare.
Milemba also called for the employment of P1 teachers who have remained outside the teaching service for years, particularly those aged 45 and above.
“With the employment of teachers we thank you, but a handful are remaining who are not Kuppet members but are primary school teachers who are 45 years and over. They are getting old without getting employed,” he said.
He urged the government to consider the plight of the teachers, saying their age should not prevent them from contributing to the education system after years of training.
“Your interventions, consider the P1 teachers who are over 45 years and not employed,” Milemba said.
The KUPPET chairman further raised concerns over the administration of Junior Secondary Schools, saying teachers and administrators continued to face uncertainty over their place within the school system.
He called for JSS to be granted administrative autonomy to address tensions between primary school heads and JSS teachers.
“The JSS are not very settled… Give slight space to them. We request your administration to consider junior secondary schools autonomy in their administration,” Milemba said.
He argued that separating the administration of JSS would clarify lines of authority and reduce friction in schools.
“Presently there exists bad blood in the administration with the primary school heads and JSS teachers. Granting JSS autonomy will reduce this tension, clarify line of authority and create a harmonious environment for our education and learners,” he said.
Milemba, however, commended the government for increasing teacher recruitment, saying the move had helped ease shortages in schools.
“If it were to follow the old model of employing 5,000, it would have taken 25 years to happen,” he said, referring to the large-scale recruitment of teachers in recent years.
The calls came as unions assessed progress on commitments made to teachers, including promotions and employment, amid ongoing reforms in the education sector.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Collins Oyuu called for the shortening of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) cycles from four years to three, with the aim of completing the current agreement within the next phase.
Oyuu said teachers had already benefited from implementation of the first two phases of the current CBA.
“The four cycles of CBA, we are happy that successfully TSC has implemented the second phase. It is our request, given the fact that ILO has it clear that the most effective CBA should run for two years, we got the two phases and at our request we end the cycles of CBA next year at the third phase,” he said.
Oyuu also credited the government and TSC with addressing concerns raised by teachers, particularly stagnation in job grades and teacher recruitment.
He said the teacher promotion budget had been increased from Sh1 billion to Sh2 billion, while the number of teachers targeted for promotion had also risen.
On recruitment, Oyuu noted that the government had moved beyond the traditional annual recruitment of about 5,000 teachers.
“In the last three years, over 100,000 have been employed on permanent and pensionable terms,” he said.
He also pointed to improved relations between the government and universities, saying KNUT had signed memoranda of understanding with five universities aimed at improving teachers’ professional development.
Oyuu said the union’s long-term ambition was to see every primary school teacher attain a university degree.
Meanwhile, Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) Secretary-General James Torome called for enhanced welfare and professional recognition for teachers serving learners with special needs.
He said more than 6,000 teachers had been deployed to special schools, helping address staffing shortages.
Torome also welcomed the inclusion of lecturers from the Kenya Institute of Special Education, Kenya Institute for the Blind and curriculum support officers in discussions on career progression guidelines.
However, he called for special-needs teachers to receive allowances comparable to those enjoyed by other teachers.
“We request allowances given to other teachers be given to those in special needs,” Torome said.
The demands from the unions come at a time when the government is seeking to strengthen teacher recruitment, career progression and welfare while implementing Competency-Based Education.
The unions say sustained investment in teachers, clearer administrative structures and equitable career opportunities will be essential to ensuring the reforms deliver better outcomes for learners.
