KUPPET Asks TSC Increase Salary For Teachers In High Risky Areas
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has requested a reconsideration of teacher salaries in the three northeastern counties, as well as Turkana and Tana River, which are also dealing with security challenges.
Moses Nthurima, the Deputy Secretary-General, has pointed out that the current hardship allowance for teachers does not adequately reflect the risks they face in these regions.
Prior to the teacher demonstrations, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to deploy non-local teachers to the insecure northern counties for shorter periods and then relocate them. Kindiki informed a parliamentary education committee on August 2 that the mental health of non-local teachers is affected by the insecurity.
He also stated that local communities are to some extent involved in incitement against non-local teachers, leading to threats originating from these communities themselves. The security minister suggested temporarily grouping teachers in a single area to protect them from al-Shabaab attacks.
Also Read:Â Non-local Teachers in North Eastern Moved to Safer Places
According to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Mandera County needs more than 2,000 teachers to fill vacancies in 300 public primary schools and 550 public secondary schools. The tragic killing of 28 teachers in Mandera eight years ago was attributed to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Internal Security for failing to respond to petitions from northeastern teachers.
Teachers have reported distressing experiences with students, head teachers, parents, and county education officers who derogatorily referred to them as adhome (slaves), nguraro (‘hard’ hair), and kafir (unholy) in their petitions to the TSC for transfers or enhanced security.
KUPPET Asks TSC Increase Salary For Teachers In High Risky Areas
