Teachers demand hardship allowance

Homa Bay

Saturday August 5, 2023

KNA by Davis Langat. 

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Suba branch has petitioned the national government to pay teachers in Suba hardship allowance to boost their morale at work.

The KNUT Suba branch Executive Secretary Rosline Olambo said teachers in the region undergo a lot of challenges when performing their duties which affects academic performance.

She said giving them hardship allowance will not only help them perform their duties better but would also improve the academic standards of schools in Homa Bay County.

“For instance they have difficulties when moving from one place to another, besides being at risk of getting involved in accidents as they go to school,” she explained and urged TSC to factor this challenge and include hardship allowance in their salaries.

"We are operating in a vast area that is full of hardships. Teachers here should get allowance to enable them operate with ease," Ms Olambo added noting teachers in islands are the only ones paid hardship allowance while their counterparts from mainland in areas like Gwassi, Kaksingri, Lambwe do not get the allowance despite facing the same challenges.

Ms Olambo said difficulties in movement for teachers affect students’ performance owing to delays in covering their syllabus. 

Ms Olambo asked TSC to compensate teachers for the extra coins they spend to ensure children acquire education.

Suba Knut branch Chairman Samuel Obunga said the government should also deploy more teachers to the region to help in reducing the workload burden.

 "The government has plans of hiring more teachers. Our request to TSC is for them to post more teachers in Suba," he said.

Courtesy ; K. N. A