Tough examination rules render Kenya teachers homeless

Form Four students of Kisumu Girls High School revise in preparation for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations, which begin today. Teachers are reportedly stranded in major towns in Nandi County after they honoured Government orders requiring them to vacate school houses during the course of national examinations. (PHOTO: DENISH OCHIENG/ STANDARD)

Teachers are reportedly stranded in major towns in Nandi County after they honoured Government orders requiring them to vacate school houses during the course of national examinations.

Officials from teachers’ unions yesterday said some teachers had asked them to intervene as they were finding it difficult to find rental houses in Kapsabet, Kobujoi and Nandi Hills.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) said the circulars requiring teachers living in school houses to vacate ahead of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE) exams, which begin today, were a “sideshow” that was punitive to the tutors.

Nandi County Knut Secretary Stephen Misoi and his Kuppet counterpart Paul Rotich termed the directive  misguided, saying the Government did not consider its impact on teachers.

Mr Misoi said the move had reduced teachers to refugees and noted that many teachers lived in schools together with their families and considered the schools their home.

Colonial move

“Forceful eviction is only applicable during transfers. The current move is colonial and we condemn it,” Misoi said.

Mr Rotich said the directive was demeaning and that all that was needed was extra vigilance by security officers to keep intruders out while exams were in session.

“Will the Government pay for the forceful eviction of teachers from school premises? It should revoke the circular immediately to stop embarrassing teachers,” said Rotich.

“The directive should have been issued last term to allow the affected teachers enough time to make alternative arrangements,” Misoi added.

However, in Kericho County, Cheptenye High School principal Bernard Arwasa and Cheptuiyet Girls Secondary School principal Zeddy Cheruiyot said the circular did not order teachers without a role in the KCSE exams to move out.

“The circular did not state that such teachers should temporarily move out of their houses. It simply stated that the teachers should stay away from the tuition and boarding areas during the course of the examinations,” said Mr Arwasa.

He further clarified that the teachers who would be required to temporarily move were those living in school compounds where the staff quarters were in the same location as students’ dormitories.

In Murang’a County, teachers dismissed the circular.

A cross-section of teachers have termed the circular discriminative, saying they are professionals who should not be suspected of abetting cheating in national examinations.