Further Salary Deductions For TSC Intern Teachers; ‘Machoozi!’
The intern teachers under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have raised concerns regarding recent salary deductions imposed by their employer through the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
These deductions, which encompass housing fund contributions for arrears in July, have placed significant financial strain on many intern teachers. It’s worth noting that this is the second instance where intern teachers have experienced deductions without a corresponding increase in their pay.
In July of this year, a deduction of Ksh. 360 was made for the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), reducing their salaries. The most recent payslip reveals a 1.5% deduction from their total stipends, allocated for the housing fund.
Consequently, primary intern teachers, who typically receive a monthly stipend of Ksh. 15,000, are left with approximately Ksh. 14,000 after these deductions. Junior secondary position interns, with a monthly stipend of Ksh. 20,000, end up with around Ksh. 18,000 post-deductions.
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The latest payments show that primary intern teachers have received only Ksh. 12,570, while their junior secondary counterparts have received Ksh. 17,570. These amounts are considerably lower than what they are accustomed to earning.
This recent development may discourage future teachers from considering internships due to the inadequate pay, especially given the prevailing inflation and cost of living.
Many teachers have been avoiding internships altogether because of the low compensation, instead opting for Board of Management (BOM) positions in schools that offer better pay and greater welfare support. While teachers on permanent contracts have seen favorable pay adjustments, intern teachers have not received similar salary reviews.
The commission has already initiated the placement of 20,000 newly recruited teacher interns in schools, with 18,000 assigned to junior secondary schools and 2,000 to primary schools to assist with implementing the new curriculum.
Teacher unions, including Knut, Kuppet, and Kusnet, were unable to shield intern teachers from these additional deductions and did not secure a revision of the interns’ stipends during negotiations.
Further Salary Deductions For TSC Intern Teachers; ‘Machoozi!’
