Kuppet opposes teachers’ plan to boycott exams

By Standard on Sunday Team

The post-primary school teachers’ union has condemned threats by the Kenya National Union of Teachers to disrupt the ongoing national examinations.

Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education (Kuppet) Secretary General Njeru Kanyamba said it is against the wishes of parents, candidates and education stakeholders for the union to issue such threats.

"This is the time the candidates, their parents and teachers are reaping from their hard work. Exams are the students’ life," said Kanyamba.

Addressing a press conference at Ibis Hotel in Nyeri, Kanyamba, who was accompanied by Kuppet National Executive Council members, Kimani Kamau and Muriuki Nyamu, accused Knut of placing selfish interests ahead of serious issues affecting their students.

"Such boycotts are uncalled for at this time. We advise Knut to approach other means of agitating for review of hardship allowances, other than threatening to disrupt examinations," he said.

Serving a calling

He assured Kuppet was not ready to join in the boycott, saying:

"We advise our members who are invigilating, supervising or monitoring the national examinations to continue serving children, since teaching is a calling".

Kanyamba was reacting to a story carried in our on Saturday issue of The Saturday Standard. The story quoted Knut Secretary General Lawrence Majali saying teachers would boycott examinations in a protest against the de-gazettment of some hardship zones .

Kanyamba said it is insensitive for the Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno to declassify Kieni, Mwingi, Mbeere and other areas as hardship zones.

And an MP wants the Government to reverse the decision to scrap hardship allowances in parts of the country. Matungu MP David Were said the status quo should be maintained to avert controversies that could hamper delivery of services by public servants and teachers working in affected areas.

Were, the chairman of the Parliamentary Transport Committee, said Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno needs to issue fresh guidelines related to hardship allowances.

"Most of the hardship allowances are used by teachers and other civil servants to meet transport expenses and the minister should be cautious over the matter," said Were.

The MP added his committee will work with that on education, chaired by Mosop MP John Koech, to ensure the Government reverses the move.

Were was speaking in Kakamega town in reaction to protest from various organisations such as the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers over Otieno’s move.

Poorly paid

Separately, more than 5000 teachers from Yatta, Masinga and Kangundo districts have vowed to down their tools should the Government fail to reinstate their hardship allowances.

Led by their Knut executive secretaries Michael Ngui (Yatta and Masinga) and Daniel Nginga (Kangundo), the teachers complained they were the poorly paid civil servants doing the hardest job in unfavourable environment. The teachers described the move by the Government as a slap on their face.

—Reporst by Job Weru, Joel Okwayo and Victor Nzuma