Knut Is Against the January Strike by JSS Intern Teachers
Knut Is Against the January Strike by JSS Intern Teachers
Junior secondary school (JSS) intern teachers are considering going on a statewide strike, but the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) is against it.
Knut, on the other hand, is pushing these professors to extend their internship agreements for one additional year in the hopes of receiving confirmation in 2025.
The intern teachers had originally scheduled a nationwide walkout for December 12, 2023, to protest their conversion to permanent and pensionable (pnp) status. Unfortunately, because of a conflict with the national Jamhuri day, this proposal was abandoned.
Now that the schools have reopened in January, the teachers plan to disrupt instruction and seek permanent employment following their one-year contract.
Knut Secretary-General, Collins Oyuu, accuses the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) of inciting the contract teachers to strike. Oyuu discourages the teachers from being misled, advising them to voice their concerns through appropriate channels.
He questions the involvement of senior school principals in endorsing teachers for Kuppet instead of Knut, expressing vigilance against potential legal violations.
Oyuu highlights that the interns are being tricked into going door-to-door without realizing the consequences. He advises them to take their issues to their union representatives. Citing financial constraints, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) revealed plans to transition 46,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable status by 2025.
Dr. Nancy Macharia, CEO of TSC, asks school administrators to start the process of renewing internship contracts for students hired in February and to provide proof of updated accident insurance.
President William Ruto recently announced a government allocation of Sh47 billion to hire 56,000 additional teachers and Sh24 billion for junior secondary school facilities’ upgrades. During the 60th Jamhuri Day celebration, President Ruto specified that the funds would be used for constructing classes and infrastructure for JSSs.
The Ministry of Education also revealed a Sh3.9 billion allocation for building 15,021 additional classrooms for JSS by 2025, with an additional Sh9 billion from the World Bank for 9,000 classrooms.
