Reprieve for BOM teachers and subordinate staff as government pledges support; education news
At last, the government of Kenya has heard the cries and seen the plight of BOM teachers and subordinate staff in public schools.
Consequently, the government has pledged support to help them back to their feet after leading a dog’s life as the Nation put it in one of their headlines for the last four months.
If the latest statement by Zachary Kinuthia the education CAS is anything to go by, then these tutors and subordinate staff will start receiving stipends to shield them from the harsh economic realities steered by the covid 19 pandemic.
The teachers were rendered jobless after sudden closure of schools in mid-March this year to curb community spread of the novel Coronavirus.
Zachary Kinuthia’s statement on BOM teachers’ salaries
The latest statement by the education CAS offers a glimmer of hope to BOM teachers.
” As a government, we have heard their cries and seen their suffering. We have had media engagements highlighting their predicament. It is not that the government is insensitive. Monies that will be dispatched to school management boards will be used to help subordinates,” said Kinuthia.
He also acknowledged the fact that the affected teachers have appealed to the government through letters and phone calls several times.
“They have not been getting salaries for the last couple of months. We have been getting appeals through letters and phone calls. We have heard them cry,” added Kinuthia.
According to Kinuthia, BOM teachers will be paid by the CS himself or through the PS in charge of early learning and basic education Dr. Belio Kipsang.
” Although this one will be an announcement by the education CS and the PS, I want to assure you that something will be done,” said Kinuthia.
TSC teachers’ salaries
On TSC Teachers’ salaries, the education CAS said that the government will continue paying them for the next six months until schools reopen.
This statement reinforces TSC head of communications boss Ms. Beatrice Wababu who earlier this month Sid that the TSC will continue paying teachers until schools reopen.
This statement however has not gone down well with some stakeholders who feel that teachers should not continue earning undeserved pay.
There were reports that some quarters had tried to force TSC Boss Dr. Nancy Macharia to either pay teachers subsistence only or find a way to Justin their pay for the next six months.
Schools reopening
Education CS Professor George Magoha is also currently facing undue pressure from the Senate education committee to reopen schools in September as earlier directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking on Tuesday, the Senate education committee said that the CS should rescind his earlier decision to open schools in January and consider a phased reopening of schools as of September.
The committee said that the phased reopening should give priority to candidate classes so that the learners can start preparing to sit for their national summative tests early.
