Confirm and Promote Acting Teachers In Northeastern, Headteachers Demand

Understaffing has been witnessed in the Northeastern Province something that has made the Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KPSHA) to call on government to address this issue and confirm All Teachers in Acting Capacity

During the opening of the two day KPSHA conference in the region at Garissa Primary School, the chairman Hassan Farah indicated that many schools in the region are led by Headteachers and Board of Governors (BoG).

He further said that understaffing has bitten the 231 school in the region indicating that only 30 schools located in towns are not affected by this crisis. He said despite numerous requests, the commission has not acted upon this matter.

Farah posed that how can a Headteacher who is held by administrative roles can run a eight streamed school alone.

The whole crisis has been caused by the Al-shabaab attack that has drove away non-local teachers from the area and town borders over fear their lives. This has been the major cause for understaffing in the region.

The KPSHA Chair who doubles up as the Headteacher of Alfurqan Primary School asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure that it confirms all acting teachers and align their pay according to their grades.

The Garissa Sub-County chairman, Siyat Hussein highlighted the importance of confirming all teachers who worked for long under the acting capacities.

He said teachers in acting capacity are being demoralized over TSC failure to Confirm and promote them. Hussein further asked the ministry of education through TSC to construct enough classrooms in the region to reduce overcrowding in classes that are currently overstretched.

Confirm All Teachers in Acting Capacity

While addressing the conference, Athman Mwaura who is the Headteacher of Warable Primary School has asked the Ministry of Education to increase Junior School Capitation to aid in paying teachers teaching those classes.

The region KPSHA Chair Farah promised that he will be holding the conference twice a year as the Headteachers have seen the benefits. More than 500 Headteachers in the region attended the conference.

The conference held this year had a theme saying “Advancing basic education effectiveness through transformative leadership and management in the digital age school.”

During this conference, the heads discussed a number of issues affecting them including the use of modern technology in Teaching.