THE PAINS OF A TEACHER REVISITED
How can Kenyan teachers know where they are going if they do not know where they are coming from?
In summary
Kenyan teachers have greatly suffered following the terminal fights between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and unionists especially KNUT
This follows TSC being given the mandate to stand on its own feet as a constitutional body that is responsible for the management of teachers in Kenya.
There have been constant rows between the TSC and union officials. Unfortunately, Kenyan teachers are the ones who bear the blunt.
Kenyan teachers have for a long time been forced to pay for sins they are oblivious of.
Their pains range from unaccounted for salary deductions in the name of comprehensive medical covers to the current embattled delocalization policy.
As a result, teachers have been forced to queue for endless hours while awaiting “AON Approval” for them to receive treatment and medicine which they have already paid for.
Those of us who have been to Nairobi Women Hospital in Nakuru can bear witness. It is shameful for a teacher to queue for medicine while a police officer strolls in and is served within minutes.
The point is what is the difference between the two civil servants? Does police money taste sweeter than a teacher’s?
WALK SHOULDER HIGH
I recently attended an induction seminar for both primary and secondary school teachers organized by one of the sub-counties in Nakuru County.
The keynote speakers pointed out that teachers should walk shoulder high and feel proud due to their “high salary” and the full package- AON included that they receive at the end of the month.
I do wonder how a teacher can feel proud after a painful humiliation of endless queueing and bashing from hospital attendants.
AON MEDICAL SCAM
Many Kenyan teachers have expressed dissatisfaction regarding their current medical scheme. I will specifically pay attention to Nakuru County where I hail from.
In Molo sub-county for instance, all teachers have been obliged to seek medical attention from a central position- St. Joseph’s Molo Nursing home popularly known as” Kwa Mungai.”
This creates a challenge since teachers cannot seek for a second opinion. I think that teachers should be at liberty to seek medical attention from hospitals that they are comfortable in.
DELOCALISATION
I was pained after reading an article aimed at painting TSC in good light when it comes to the delocalization policy.
The article suggested that these transfers are done humanely and smoothly.
However, we have had cases of teachers being ejected from classrooms and forced to work at the remotest parts of another sub-county or county.
I am at a loss if the author understands what is on the ground! Kenyan teachers will not appreciate this baby bunter.
CAREER PROGRESSION AND PROMOTIONS
Kenyan teachers have expressed their concerns about career progression guidelines which seem to make it nearly impossible for a teacher to get promoted from one job group to another especially if they do not possess a master’s degree.
The greatest worry lies with principals who do not have a master’s degree. How secure is their job?
My plea goes out to the mainstream media house(s). Kindly stop joining the bandwagon and presenting Kenyan teachers as ingrates!
