Knut: Reward teachers with new qualifications

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion (left) and Chairman Mudzo Nzili (right) with TSC boss Nancy Macharia. [Photo: Willis Awandu/standard]

The State has been asked to promote teachers who improve their academic qualifications.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion noted there is a large promotion backlog for teachers who have acquired certificates, undergraduate and post-graduate degrees since since 2012.

"The bigger priority area for TSC should be promotion of teachers. We are not asking for anything outside the scheme of services," said Mr Sossion, noting that the Collective Bargaining Agreement is silent on new qualifications.

He added: "Teachers are no longer taking loans to open businesses; they are using them to further their education."

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia assured the Commission will continue working closely with the National Treasury to ensure that funds are allocated to promote teachers across all the grades.

Mrs Macharia pointed out that in the past one year, they promoted 14,327 teachers. She gave the breakdown as Job Groups G (6,404), J, K and L (6,618), N to P (1,147), P to Q (128) and Q to R (30).

The Knut is also calling for hiring of more teachers to bridge the gap of 85,000 tutors.

They were speaking Wednesday during the opening ceremony of the Knut Annual General Meeting at Kasarani Stadium Indoor arena in Nairobi. Sossion said the Government requires about Sh30 billion to hire the additional teachers.

"Make it a priority in the 2017-18 budget that the teachers are all employed at once," he pleaded.

He warned that the country risks having a shortage of competent teachers in the near future if the Government does not engage them immediately after graduation.

"It does not make sense to train teachers using Government and family resources and fail to give them jobs," he pointed.

Macharia pointed out that the commission advertised 10,000 vacancies in Job Group "M" and N" in September this year.

"The applications are being processed for shortlisting. Interview dates will be communicated immediately the shortlisting is over," she said.