Knut pushes for release of free schooling money

PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | FILE Secondary school students in Eldoret town head to their respective schools.

What you need to know:

  • Union threatens national strike if government does not act in three days

Teachers have issued a three-day notice to the government to release funds for free day secondary education or their union will call for a national strike. (Read: Mutula asked to address free learning cash delay)

The Kenya National Union of Teachers chairman, Mr Wilson Sossion, at the weekend said if the government will not have released the money by Tuesday, the union will issue a statement over the matter and a subsequent notice for the strike.

“This is a deliberate attempt by the government to weaken performance in public schools and blame the teachers when the institutions post dismal results in national examinations,” he said.

Mr Sossion said that the government should have released 50 per cent of the allocations to the schools by January 3, but lamented that more than two months down the line, the schools were yet to receive the funds.

According to Mr Sossion, head teachers in primary and secondary schools have been staying away from the institutions to avoid stationery suppliers “baying for their blood” due to outstanding payments.

Mr Sossion was speaking at the Bomet County Council Hall on Saturday during a training session of area Knut school representatives.

He was accompanied by the union’s acting national treasurer Richard Kibagendi, area acting executive secretary Joseph Malel Langat and other branch officials.

The union, he said, will at the same time ask pupils and students, who will be breaking away for half-term scheduled for Tuesday, not to go back to school unless the government will have released the funds to their institutions.

“These children could be helping their parents on gainful ventures at home instead of being in schools doing nothing,” he said.

Interdiction

Mr Sossion also criticised the Kenya National Examination Council for its alleged failure to pay teachers who invigilated and supervised the 2012 national examinations their dues, yet it was first in recommending their interdiction when cases of irregularities arose.

Mr Kibagendi echoed the sentiments, accusing the government of frustrating learning in public schools by delaying the disbursement of money to schools to implement various programmes.

The officials assured teachers that the union was also pushing the State to release responsibility allowances for both primary and secondary school head teachers at the rate of 50 per cent of their basic salary, 40 per cent for their deputies and 30 per cent for senior teachers and heads of departments.