Sossion criticises budget for digital tablets project

Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion at a past event in Naivasha on March 9, 2017. He has accused the government of prioritising, in its budget, providing digital tablets to primary schools over the hiring of teachers. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  GEOFFREY RONO

What you need to know:

  • Wilson Sossion said that it was foolhardy for the government to budget for the provision of tablets to schools at Sh13 billion and a paltry Sh2 billion for the employment of 5,000 teachers.
  • Mr Sossion said it made no sense for the government to advertise the training of 10,000 teachers in the various colleges yet it had no plans to employ teachers.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) on Sunday accused the government of prioritising, in its budget, buying digital tablets for primary schools over the hiring of teachers.

Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion said that it was foolhardy for the government to budget for the provision of the tablets at Sh13 billion and a paltry Sh2 billion for hiring 5,000 teachers.

“We are demanding employment of more than 70,000 trained and unemployed teachers.

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"The government should divert the Sh13 billion for the laptops to the hiring of teachers urgently lest it invites a major argument with the teaching force,” he said.

EMPLOY TEACHERS

Speaking in Bomet, Mr Sossion said it made no sense for the government to advertise the training of 10,000 teachers in the various colleges yet it had no plans to employ teachers.

He said the government should suspend the tablets project as well as training of more teachers since it was not ready to employ all the trained and unemployed teachers countrywide.

The unionist called on Knut branches nationwide to submit data of all the trained and unemployed teachers to the headquarters so that the union can use it as a basis of argument with the government.

He placed the number of trained but unemployed teachers at 90,000.

Mr Sossion gave an example of the Indian government which he said shelved a plan to give pupils laptops and instead prioritised the employment of teachers.

PROVISION OF GADGETS

Mr Sossion said it beats logic for the Government to prioritise the provision of gadgets to schools without paying attention for the employment of teachers to teach the pupils.

The secretary general said it was also sad for the Government to fail to recognise teachers who have acquired new qualifications and at the same time fail to have a scheme of service for them.

The unionist said: “If the Government is committed to the education of Kenyan child, it should also recognise the additional values the teachers had added to their credentials so as to improve the academic standards of the Kenyan youth,” he said.

This time round, Mr Sossion said, the union will be demanding from presidential hopefuls what they have in store for teachers should they be elected.

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