Teachers Threaten Paralyse of Learning In Schools

Teachers Threaten Paralyse of Learning In Schools

Learning in schools across Kenya could soon be disrupted as the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) threatens to strike if the government fails to honor the 2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

KNUT Chairman Patrick Karinga announced that teachers would strike at the beginning of the third term if the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) does not implement the agreed salary increments.

Karinga highlighted that the TSC is not honoring the salary arrangements due to recent budget cuts. The TSC is set to lose close to Ksh10 billion in the new budget estimates.

“If it is not honored, we may do otherwise. They know teachers are organized and know how they will demand what is owed to them. By July 31, if they will not have done what is expected of them, then they should expect another language,” Karinga stated.

He urged the TSC to engage Parliament to ensure that the allocation meant for the CBA is not reduced. “KNUT calls on TSC to ensure that the legal agreement is honored,” the chairman asserted.

If actualized, the strike will paralyze education at a critical time, as Form Four students are set to sit for their examinations barely two months after reopening for the third term.

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams are expected to commence on November 4, with some subjects, such as music practicals and French, beginning as early as October 22.

The academic calendar has already been adjusted due to the May floods, which caused an extended closure of schools by two weeks. The Ministry of Education and TSC have yet to respond to the teachers’ demands.

Teachers Threaten Paralyse of Learning In Schools