Murang'a ECDE teachers protest poor pay

A classroom. [Courtesy]

Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) School teachers have protested meagre pay from Murang'a county government.

The teachers who cater for over 42,000 children said the Sh15,700 monthly salary is not enough and they lack teaching materials.

Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers chairperson John Mwangi said the teachers feel demoralized over the county's failure to address their grievance to improve educational standards.

He claimed that they had been promised Sh25,000 per month, which had not been factored into the supplementary budget.

Mwangi accused the county government of focusing on infrastructure and delivery of porridge to the learners at the expense of the teachers' welfare.

"The boda boda riders who deliver the porridge to schools are paid Sh1,000 daily for the tasks while the teacher gets a meagre salary of Sh15,700, this is ridiculous," he said.

One rider delivers the porridge to about four nursery schools daily.

Mwangi said that parents may be forced to buy the learning materials after the county government failed to procure them.

"The county government has failed to procure the learning materials, and the parents have to shoulder the responsibility for their children," he said.

Julian Wanjiku, an ECDE teacher, said most teachers are ready to transit to the national government, where they will be rewarded for their contribution to education.

"Murang'a has neglected the ECDE with major emphasis on renovation and construction of classrooms," said Wanjiku.

But a parent, Keziah Wachera, defended the county government saying it has made great efforts in transforming the ECDE centres and delivery of nutritious porridge to learners.

Murang'a Education CEC Faith Njoroge said they are in the process of acquiring learning materials for nursery schools.

She announced that the county was mapping out all ECDE centres without facilities, and construction will begin once the process is complete.

"On water and electricity bills, we have a policy, and schools will receive cash to settle those bills as part of their capitation," she said.

The county government is also providing tanks to the centres to store water and has renovated and constructed 139 classrooms.