JSS Intern Teachers End Their Strike and Sign a Return to Work Formula.
Intern teachers at junior secondary schools have decided to call off their three-week strike after agreeing to a return-to-work plan on Saturday, June 1.
Students who have been stuck since the start of the second term should receive much-needed respite from the accord, which was signed on Madaraka Day. The instructors will be back in the classroom as early as June 3, Monday.
Following fruitful negotiations conducted by the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), the strike came to an end, forcing many students to turn to online learning or hire private tutors. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has provided assurances in response to the teachers’ desire for permanent and pensionable employment.
The breakthrough was declared by KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori, who disclosed that TSC had consented to a number of significant terms. “We have to return to our regular routine,” stated Misori. “We are moving back to class.”
TSC withdrew all of the show-cause letters it had sent to teachers for taking part in the strike, as one of its concessions. This action is regarded as a major step toward peace and normalcy.
TSC has promised to reinstate teachers whose salaries were withheld and their registrations revoked as a result of their participation in the strikes. “A number of them had their names completely erased from the registry and were not paid. We’ve decided that they have to be put back in,” Misori said.
By January 2025, TSC intends to hire up to 26,000 intern teachers for junior secondary schools on permanent, pensionable contracts. Financial resources will need to be allocated significantly for this transition; TSC estimates that it will cost Ksh8.3 billion.
When the National Assembly Committee on Education—led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly—presented budget projections for the 2024–2025 fiscal year earlier this week, it brought attention to the negotiations’ larger backdrop.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee, led by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, received the Committee’s comments, which included a request that TSC turn 26,000 intern teachers into permanent positions with pensions.
In order to accomplish this, Ksh8.3 billion has been set aside to guarantee the striking teachers long-term work, and Ksh4.7 billion will be utilized to hire 20,000 student instructors.
KUPPET and TSC, according to Misori, are in discussions to change the plan to hire 20,000 interns into permanent positions with pensions for those who were already hired as interns.
The agreement also addresses the suggestion that, instead of January 2025 as was first suggested, TSC start turning the 26,000 interns into permanent posts in July 2024. The purpose of this advice was to facilitate a more seamless and expedient transfer for the teachers.
This decision is an important step toward stabilizing the education system and represents a significant win for junior secondary school teachers. Parents and students will surely be relieved to see the return of the classrooms, as it will signal the end of a time of uncertainty and disturbance.
JSS Intern Teachers End Their Strike and Sign a Return to Work Formula.
More Teachers Updates
Follow Us on Telegram.