Teachers to Boycott Invigilation as KUPPET Mobilize them

Teachers to Boycott Invigilation as KUPPET Mobilize them

Teachers to Boycott Invigilation as KUPPET Mobilize them

Due to worries about how its members are being treated, the Kenya Union of Post  Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has threatened to boycott the invigilation,  supervision, and marking of national exams. The union’s national officers have expressed their displeasure with the previous  subpar working conditions, late salary payments, and low pay received by its  members as the scheduled start date of the national exams draws near. Before its members offer their services, KUPPET is now expecting an agreement  with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to resolve these difficulties.

This declaration was made during an annual general meeting held at a hotel in Mosocho, Kisii County, which brought together KUPPET members and officials from Nyanza, Western, and Rift Valley. National Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima expressed concern that there is no existing agreement between KUPPET and KNEC regarding the appointment and utilization of its members for invigilation and marking national exams. He highlighted issues of overtime work and unequal pay, calling for KNEC to engage with the union to resolve these concerns.

The necessity for better working conditions for instructors who mark national  exams was also stressed by KUPPET. They called attention to the difficult working circumstances at marking centers,  where communication devices are not permitted for teachers.

They also emphasized the unsafe sleeping conditions and health hazards at these facilities. As long as negotiations with KNEC are ongoing, KUPPET is advising its members not to report to the centers.

Leaders of KUPPET, such as Julius Korir, stressed the necessity of higher pay for  duties such as supervision, invigilation, and marking, and warned members not to  take part if these demands were not realized. The union also insists on having an independent Teachers Service Commission  (TSC) because it is concerned about the Ministry of Education possibly taking over  parts of its duties. They have recommended a compensation rise, which has not yet been put into  effect, in an effort to close the pay disparity between various teaching jobs.

Furthermore, KUPPET called for the government to equip teachers in conflict-prone areas with firearms to enhance their safety and the quality of education they can provide. They criticized the practice of deploying secondary school teachers to places where they have less authority than primary school head teachers, emphasizing the need for change.

Some junior school teachers are being assigned to teach primary courses, which is  against their job descriptions and qualifications, the Siaya County branch of  KUPPET reported. They also emphasized the difficulties brand-new teachers in underprivileged communities confront.