Knut, head teachers differ over transfers

Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association chairman Shem Ndolo (left) with the National Treasurer Josephat Otiende during a Press briefing in Kisumu yesterday. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Teachers’ unions are divided over a decision to transfer principals who have overstayed in one station.

While the giant Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has vowed to call a strike in January if the move is not rescinded, the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha) now wants head teachers to accept the mass transfers since all teachers were aware of the policy since 2015.

Knut has opposed the transfer of head teachers of national and extra-county schools and also wants performance appraisals suspended.

Already, the ministry has issued a circular indicating all schools from pre-primary to secondary will open for the first term on January 2 and close on April 6.

“The morale of teachers is at its lowest. TSC must thoroughly and exhaustively engage the unions on these burning issues with the urgency it deserves. We would like to warn that if all these concerns are not addressed, then teachers will withdraw labour and schools will not open in the year,” said Knut Secretary Wilson Sossion.

However, Kepsha says there is no malice in the transfers.

Shem Ndolo, the chairman of the association, told journalists yesterday that the teachers were aware that the transfers were bound to happen since 2015.

He noted that the transfers that has affected about 209 head teachers in primary schools were part of a directive by the Ministry of Education aiming to help improve the quality of learning in the country.

“The policy on transfers started in 2015 but we asked TSC to put it on hold to allow us prepare the teachers psychologically for the transfers,” said Mr Ndolo.

Ndolo noted that a similar attempt to effect the transfers was also put on hold by the ministry after they sought more time for consultations.

The chairperson said head teachers should now accept the transfers, adding that the association would engage with TSC on special cases that need to be addressed.

“We do not see the transfers as malicious. It is something that we should embrace and where there are issues that need to be resolved, we are certain they will be looked into,” added Ndolo.

Knut has called on the affected teachers to ignore the directive communicated to them by TSC to effect the transfers until they conclusively reach an agreement with the commission.

Sossion argued that despite numerous calls and free advisories to make every decision consultative and bring all stakeholders on board, the Ministry of Education and the TSC had continued to effect unilateral ideas with total disregard to the effects on the general public and other cardinal players in the sector, including the teachers.

“We totally oppose the unilateral decision to transfer 557 principals. We consider the idea ill-conceived and we suspect the plotters do not mean well as this action could, in the end, negatively affect the sector in many ways including demoralising hard-working and successful teachers who are taking this action as punishment,” said Sossion.

Knut is also opposed to the teachers’ appraisals, noting the exercise was laborious, time-consuming and was adding no value to teaching.

Sossion said teachers had rejected the performance appraisals and contracting and the exercise would not apply in 2018.

The union is also demanding the immediate recognition of teachers who have acquired new and higher qualifications, noting that the intellectual rights of teachers with new and higher qualifications had been abused for far too long by the employer.