Challenges Non-local Teachers Face in North Eastern
Challenges Non-local Teachers Face in North Eastern
The insecurity problems in the area have been the main source of many severe difficulties for non-local instructors working in North Eastern Kenya. These difficulties have a significant impact on kids’ education and wellbeing in addition to having an impact on educators.
Threats and insecurity are among the biggest problems these instructors deal with. Due to the presence of organizations like Al-Shabaab and animosity from local communities, they frequently live in fear for their safety.
They have been demanding transfers to safer locations where they may operate without being constantly afraid for their lives because returning to their workstations has become tough due to their sense of unease.
The Interior Cabinet Secretary has asserted that the provocation of neighborhood communities is a factor in this unease, but more general security and well-being concerns have not been addressed.
For non-local instructors, their livelihoods have been jeopardized and they have experienced financial hardship due to the high costs and logistical difficulties of getting back to their workplaces, including the requirement for police escorts and large distances.
Psychological effects and worries about mental health are also common. These instructors’ mental health has suffered greatly as a result of the constant anxiety and danger exposure, and many have voiced worries about the psychological effects of working in such circumstances.
Additionally, there is a serious teacher shortage in the area, particularly in Mandera County. The loss of non-local instructors exacerbates this issue and limits pupils’ access to a high-quality education. There are deficiencies in classrooms and an international teacher-to-learner ratio that is significantly higher than what is advised.
The instructors Service Commission (TSC) has refused to grant the instructors’ requests for transfers despite their requests, claiming that there aren’t enough qualified substitutes. The situation for the impacted teachers is unstable as a result.
Additionally, there have been problems with sluggish transfers and dissatisfaction with how the TSC has handled the subject. The instructors contend that the TSC personnel in charge of organizing transfers have disregarded their requests, and some have even faced interdiction from the TSC for desertion of duty due to their pursuit of transfers.
The difficulties faced by educators and students in the area are further exacerbated by stretched facilities, which include inadequate infrastructure and resources such as scarce water sources, subpar sanitary facilities, crammed classrooms, and dorms in schools.
Last but not least, the instructors Service Commission (TSC) has come under fire for its judgments regarding teacher deployment because it refused to post instructors to the North Eastern region and withdrew those who were already working there. This has aggravated the region’s persistent teacher shortage.
