Unions reject ministry’s new ceiling on learning timetable

A class at Nalekat Primary School in Tiaty, Baringo. Knut says such pupils will be disadvantaged. [File, Standard]

Teachers unions and boards of management have vowed to oppose a Government directive on official teaching hours in schools.

A directive outlawing teaching before 8.30am and after 3.30pm for all day public and private institutions between Monday and Friday has drawn resistance from officials of Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Boards of Management (BoMs).

They say the order, which also prescribes 7.15am as the official reporting time to day schools, cannot be implemented and claim it is discriminatory against schools in arid, semi-arid and rural areas.

The officials said if teachers were not allowed flexible teaching time, it could disadvantage students in day schools and undermine performance, given their colleagues in boarding schools have more latitude as the strict schedule does not apply. 

The unions say the 8.30am-3.30pm schedule encourages teachers and learners to idle and makes it difficult for tutors to attend to large classes, some comprising of up to 80 learners.

Review curriculum

Now, BoMs and teachers want a review of the curriculum to lessen the content taught in schools to fit the official time.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed last week directed all primary and secondary schools to adhere to the official operating hours for all day public or private institutions as stipulated in the Basic Education Regulations, 2015.

She said any arrangement where learners would have classes before 8am or after 3.30pm would be illegal.

Amina said investigations had revealed that some schools force students to attend classes from as early as 5.30am and leave long after 5pm. She said this was frustrating learners.

But the unions have opposed the directive, and accused the CS and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of issuing many contradictory orders.

“Government is giving many orders based on task force reports that are sometimes not enforceable,” said Akelo Misori, Kuppet’s secretary general.

He said the order on teaching time was discriminatory and could not be applied countrywide.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion brushed off the order, saying it was not well thought out.

“This is discriminatory and is not for the good of the Kenyan children. Day scholars walk for long hours to and from school. Now Government is saying that when they get to school, they should not be taught beyond 3:30pm,” said Mr Sossion.

The nominated MP said the timing disadvantaged children in public schools.

“Those in boarding will go on with their schedule as well as those in private schools. But at the end of the year, Government will subject all learners to a similar examination and rank them. Definitely, those in private and boarding will perform better,” Sossion said.

He called for a stakeholders’ meeting to agree on how to solve crises bedevilling the education sector.

Dan Opiyo Owuor, a board member of five schools in Nyanza, called for review of curriculum to align the syllabus to time schedules. 

“Failure to do this means teachers must create extra hours to complete the wide syllabus. A number of subjects are even irrelevant to future career choices of the students,” said Dr Owuor.

Consult teachers

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chairman Kahi Indimuli said teachers were professionals who adhered to set rules and should be consulted before some directives could be issued.

“We are not against the order, but we need to be involved. We are the ones on the ground and know what is best for the learners. If you set time for us, we will follow them, but learners will be affected," he said.

Shem Ndolo, chairman of Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association (Kepsha), said teachers had no option but to adhere to the directive.

“We are employed by Government and we have to adhere to its rules. This is the situation across all sectors in the public service. Teachers should not be asked to be treated differently,” said Mr Ndolo.

But Johnson Nzioka, Kepsha Nairobi branch chairman, said output would be affected.

Boarding schools

“The day schools will be affected more, because no one will control boarding schools where learning can go on anytime. At the end, boarders will cover more and when they sit exams, they will beat day scholars,” Nzioka said.

An officer from the Education ministry’s quality assurance and standards said the ministry would not bend to the teachers’ demands.

“We are aware that many teachers are upset because they have been charging parents to pay for morning and evening preps. This time should be left for learners to study on their own. Teachers should not stay away from class on normal working hours,” the official said.