Ministry seeks AG’s advice on teachers’ row

The Ministry of Education has written to the Attorney General seeking advice on a proposal by teachers unions to settle the recruitment of intern teachers out of court.

A meeting at the AG’s chambers has also been suggested to discuss the matter. It is to be attended by officials of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education (Kuppet) and of the Education ministry.

In a letter written on behalf of Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi by a Mrs J. M. Okungu, the ministry seeks the views and advice of Attorney General Amos Wako on the matter of the recruitment of intern teachers.

“My view is that they should withdraw the respective cases they have filed in court to facilitate an off court settlement and the ministry has been so advised,” the PS says in the letter. At various fora, both Knut and Kuppet have expressed willingness to settle the matter out of court.

Knut, during its annual conference at Moi Sports Centre, Kasarani, gave the clearest indication that they were ready to drop the case if the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) recruited as had been the tradition.

According to Knut secretary-general Lawrence Majali, the cases, which are proceeding concurrently, have not yet been withdrawn from the court to pave the way for a new deal. On Wednesday, Prof Mutahi said he would make a decision after receiving feedback from the AG.

Separate orders

The dispute began last year when High Court granted both Knut and Kuppet separate orders stopping any recruitment of graduates as intern teachers for public schools.

Education ministry had embarked on a plan to recruit 12,600 graduate teachers as interns, with Sh1.6 billion set aside by Treasury. This would have been the first time graduates were hired as interns. In its staffing report last year, the TSC said there was a shortage of over 60,000 teachers countrywide.