Teachers Service Commission urged not to be employing teachers as interns

Makueni,

Sunday, October 15, 2023

KNA by Patrick Nyakundi

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Deputy Secretary Hesbon Otieno has asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC)to stop employing teachers as interns as it is contrary to the teachers code of regulations.

Otieno pointed out that in the code of regulations, teachers are supposed to be employed as permanent and pensionable.

"Recently the TSC hired teachers as interns in two phases totaling to 55,000. In the code of regulations, teachers are supposed to be employed as permanent and pensionable," said Otieno during the Annual General Meeting for KNUT Makueni Branch held at ACK Primary School on Saturday.

While saying teachers have undergone training and graduated, he observed an intern was one still under training to learn some skills before they can be employed on permanent and pensionable term.

"An intern is one positioned in training for one year like doctors or lawyers put in tutelage under experienced person before getting employed. For teacher's, there is nothing like internship," he said.

However, Otieno disclosed that they accepted government to employ teachers as interns in an effort to alleviate the shortage of teachers that had impacted negatively on the education sector in the country and urged the government to ensure they employ the teachers on permanent and pensionable term after they complete one year in service.

"The teachers should be confirmed after one year as permanent and pensionable and they should not be subjected to any interviews," Otieno said.

He further asked TSC to appoint teachers who are qualified as heads of institutions instead of deploying them as temporal heads of institution saying it denies such teachers acting allowances.

 “The code is very clear, when you are placed on acting capacity, you should enjoy acting allowance. That is what they are running away from. They know when you are given acting allowance, after six months they should confirm you," observed the deputy secretary.

Further, Otieno said there is need to amend the Pension Act and be domiciled in the TSC not the pension director's office at the treasury.

He lamented that many teachers have died without tasting a penny of their pension money due to long processes at the pension office.

Speaking at the same event, Makueni County TSC Director Grace Mwangi, challenged teachers to avoid over borrowing from banks and instead urged them to live within their means.

The director attributed stress, depression, indiscipline and mental health issues in the county due to over borrowing saying it was impacting negatively on education.

"Some teachers have become indisciplined, stressed and depressed. This has led to some deserting work and ultimately being interdicted," lamented the TSC county director.

On her part, Makueni Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Susan Kikamba called upon the government to lower taxes in a bid to cushion wananchi from the high cost of living.

Courtesy; KNA