KISUMU, Kenya, Feb 3 – Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has decried shortage of teachers in the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) across the country.
KNUT National Secretary General Collins Oyuu says learners have reported to schools but no teachers to take them through learning.
Oyuu called upon the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure there are enough teachers in the JSS.
“There is a total shortage of teachers in the JSS, you know that only one teacher was to be posted, what head teachers are doing now is admitting learners who are doing nothing in class due to lack of teachers,” he said.
Addressing a press conference in Kisumu on Friday, Oyuu says teachers have now volunteered to teach the learners.
He says TSC has pronounced the qualifications that a teacher has to possess to be able to teach at JSS.
“TSC must revisit the qualification it has placed on teachers at JSS because we have so many teachers outside here,” he said.
Oyuu says TSC has made it mandatory that only teachers who scored C plus in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) are eligible to teach at JSS.
The Secretary General says the qualification has locked out many teachers who scored C in KCSE noting that the rule is derogatory and should be scrapped.
He says the shortage of teachers will only be addressed if TSC lowers the qualification and absorb the many teachers who are waiting to be employed.
“There is only one teacher being posted into JSS, yet in other schools we have streams, how will one teacher take care of two to three streams?” he asked.
Oyuu also told TSC to expedite the releasing of letters to teachers who were delocalized but are returning to their former counties.
He says the letters had been dispatched and are stagnating at the educational regional headquarters, prompting teachers to protest.
“Release these letters, let us not buy time to give teachers room to demonstrate to have their transfer letters,” he said.
Oyuu went further to ask for the hastening of the distribution of JSS books into the schools noting that learners are ready to start off learning.
“Cabinet Secretary for Education Ezekiel Machogu flagged off the distribution of books to schools last week, yet up to date some schools are yet to receive these books,” he said.
On the discipline of teachers, Oyuu called upon teachers to always keep to the code of conduct.
This he said in relation to the 7 teachers in Kisii who were arrested and arraigned in court for exposing learners to indecent acts.
Oyuu says KNUT will not come to the defense of teachers engaging in weird characters, noting that they are demeaning.
“I must condemn what happened in Kisii, teachers must at all times remain professional,” he said.
