KNUT Issues Statement on Primary Headteacher Demotion
KNUT Issues Statement on Primary Headteacher Demotion. Current head teachers who don’t have the necessary credentials will be given smaller responsibilities.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) secretary general applauded the concept of comprehensive schools, pointing out that it would address the issues with primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary education and enable children to attend the same institution from ECD through grade 12.
A teachers union has objected to the idea by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms to demote primary school leaders without degrees beginning in January of the next year.
The idea is “unfair and the worst labor practice the country will implement on the teachers,” according to Nelson Oyuu, secretary general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers.
He was delivering a speech in Mombasa after attending the regional Knut Coast Council meeting at Ronald Ngala Primary School in Mvita.
For the sake of keeping our teachers at ease, we are prepared and willing to bite when necessary. Oyuu claims that the heads you are discussing are among the best.
We all attended college to master the principles of administration, so we are all very competent. It’s basically administration.”
Oyuu noted that although they wholeheartedly accept the working party’s recommendations for changes and reforms in the educational field, some of the concepts worry them.
He confirmed Knut’s commitment to helping principals of elementary schools without degrees and added that they would submit suggestions to the working party that would let them continue working while pursuing higher education.
Oyuu implied that 99 percent of primary school administrators were graduates, attacking anybody who might think otherwise.
He recommended that any head teacher who does not already have a degree enroll in a higher education program.
The working group had recommended that primary head teachers oversee the institutions for a transitional period ending on December 30, 2023, in schools that were housing junior secondary schools at the time the new Competency Based Curriculum was implemented.
A comprehensive school with a single head teacher and space for the current JSS, primary school, and pre-primary schools was suggested.
Oyuu asserted that after everything was set up, they could have one institution’s head without too much complication.
“There were a few gaps that should have been closed because JSS’s implementation was somewhat shambolic. The grade 7 students have moved to JSS, but where are the teachers? Oyuu posed.
Knut concurred that JSS should be located in primary schools but maintained that the case for comprehensive schools needed to be strengthened.
In addition, Oyuu raised worry about the problem of finding ECDE professors across the country.
He asserted that Knut had indicated in its plans that Form 4 is the end of basic education, which begins with ECDE.
He asserted that it was particularly unfortunate that counties had to step in to hire teachers, even though it is generally accepted that the ministry and the Teachers Service Commission are in charge of staffing classes 1 through 12.
The working committee has recommended that the TSC cover the salary of ECDE instructors.
It defies logic for one to maintain the number while working for the county; counties hire instructors with TSC numbers. According to Oyuu, TSC must now involve these educators because this will be in line with teachers in terms of quality assurance and even in work at our schools.
KNUT Issues Statement on Primary Headteacher Demotion
The Knut secretary general also criticized the working party’s plan to restrict TSC authority so as to benefit the Ministry of Education.
He said Knut had pushed for the TSC and the parent government to adhere to a defined path for quality control.
“What we wanted was a clear breakdown of responsibilities without disagreement or physical contact. In our recommendations, we made it clear that we couldn’t afford to intervene in disagreements between TSC and the ministry.
He also commended TSC for publishing the 2023–2027 strategic plan, whose implementation will cost Sh70 billion.
He asserted that all aspects of the proposal were apparent, with the exception of teacher compensation, which he believed required further examination.
He asserted that Knut was prepared to exert pressure on TSC to enter the conversation so that teacher salary would be included in the strategic plan.
The TSC’s earlier suggestion for teacher advancement was highly appreciated, even if the National Treasury reduced it from Sh2 billion to Sh1 billion.
We were unable to negotiate any financial conditions in 2021 due to the SRC; hence, Oyuu said, “We still want TSC to sit down with us and reopen the door to discussions.”
The non-monetary CBA we agreed to in 2021 will now be reviewed as the negotiation proviso has been lifted, thus we have written to TSC and asked for a meeting within 14 days.