Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Willson Sossion says the teaching fraternity is prepared for the stalemate over the looming strike set for September 1, 2018.
“The strike is real and it is going to be a real emancipation of teachers in the country. Nobody should be left behind and nobody should try to derail our resolve,” Sosion said.
While addressing Kisii Central Branch teachers, Sossion warned that teachers will be forced to down their tools immediately should talks between the Union and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) fail to yield results.
KNUT and TSC will meet on August 21, 2018 to addressed issues raised by the union which include de-localization of teachers, promotions, salary harmonization, teacher performance appraisal systems among others. According to Sossion, TSC has not forgiven teachers since 2015 when they held a five week strike.
“Teachers have right to policy formulation. It is shocking that TSC has issued 82 circulars since 2015. Teaching is about character transformation. Education can’t be reduced into a simple measurement. The Government is busy issuing circulars with an objective of wanting to kill unions,” said Sossion.
The Secretary- General further wondered why TSC has remained adamant on its implementation of the infamous Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) adding that somebody must explain why teachers are being forced to meet costs that are budgeted for in TSC. “TPAD is a big issue globally which can’t work and it is not a good system of appraising teachers.
It is de-professionalising teaching. There are threats by the employer to turn KNUT into a merry go round,” Mr Sossion said. KNUT further added that since 2015 there have been a steady declined performance in all schools due to poor policy implementation system.
“TSC has removed schemes of services yet codes of regulation recognizes schemes of work. You cannot withdraw a benefit that a worker enjoys. All teachers must be recognized and promoted from their day of graduation and we will not beg for such,” he explained.
Controversial Teachers’ Transfers
A total of 82 officials of the giant Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) have been transferred in the ongoing delocalisation policy by the Teachers Service Commission, it has emerged.
Enraged by the transfers, which have crippled its activities in some regions, the union has declared it will call for a national teachers strike on September 1.
“The policy on delocalisation has adversely affected over 82 union officials. We see this as an affront to the union and its structures. How do you expect an elected official of a branch to serve if he has been delocalised outside his area of representation? It is impossible. We want such delocalisation rescinded forthwith,” says Knut secretary-general Wilson Sossion in a letter to TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia.
The transferred officials include branch treasurers, assistant executive secretaries, chairmen, woman representatives and branch executive committee members across the country.
Also affected by the policy that the TSC begun implementing in December last year are officials from Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) officials and those from the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha).
So far, a total of 1,065 principals out 8,900 have been moved.
While Kuppet, Kepsha and Kessha have not queried the transfers of their officials, Knut has waged war with the TSC and declared it will disrupt learning in the third term through a national strike.