The Five Elements Affecting TSC Teacher Pay in All Job Categories.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court’s (ELRC) recent decision has important ramifications for the roughly 60,000 instructors who the instructors Service Commission (TSC) hired as interns.
The interns’ right to fair labor practices was infringed by the TSC, the court ruled, when it hired them as interns in spite of their credentials and teaching licenses.
In addition to casting doubt on the validity of the internships, this judgment also raises concerns about the future of junior secondary schools, which greatly depend on these educators to carry out the Competency-Based Curriculum.
In his decision, Justice Byrum Ongaya underlined that the TSC’s mandate is to hire only certified and licensed teachers—not interns or student teachers.
He emphasized that the TSC should hire registered instructors to address the staffing demands in public schools because there are no statutory norms or policies that permit the commission to engage interns. The internship program, which was established to solve teacher shortages and supply teachers for junior secondary schools, is being contested by this verdict.
There has been opposition to the internship program, especially with reference to its expansion. The program was originally designed to last for one year before interns may be absorbed into permanent posts.
President William Ruto declared that the program would be extended for an additional year, postponing the interns’ chances of finding full-time, pensionable work.
The interns’ complaints include not receiving enough supervision, having their stipends deducted for taxes and contributions, and being required to teach courses outside of their agreed-upon responsibilities.
The interns’ legal complaint, filed by the Forum for Good Governance and Human Rights, brought to light the difficulties they encountered, such as having to handle several subjects and administrative responsibilities on their own without the necessary assistance.
Oroso Oganga, one impacted instructor, recalled that even though his contract called for a more focused curriculum, he ended up teaching a broad range of courses. He got a low stipend despite the labor.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), which supports intern teachers’ eventual integration into permanent roles, hailed the court decision as a win for them.
Collins Oyuu, the secretary-general of KNUT, expressed disapproval of the internship program, pleading with the TSC to guarantee equitable treatment for competent educators and advocating for financial resources to convert interns into full-time roles.
With intentions to hire 20,000 more intern teachers and an estimated 56,000 now employed, the future of the education system and these teachers is in jeopardy due to labor and legal problems.
The Five Elements Affecting TSC Teacher Pay in All Job Categories.
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