Students sent home as strike crisis worsens

Nearly 14 million students were sent home on Friday as the government and unions dug in in the stalemate over a pay increase.

But whereas the salary strike is only affecting public schools, the closure will includes private institutions.

This is the first time in the history of Kenya’s education sector for the government to take such a drastic action.

And although the government said colleges will not be affected, teachers training colleges face closure because the tutors, who are members of Kuppet, have not been teaching.

Teaching practice that was to take place this term has been put off since schools are closed and there are no lecturers to supervise them.

First year trainees who reported to colleges last week have not gone through induction and have not started classes.

Also affected are the technical training colleges and institutes of technology since the lecturers are TSC employees and members of the unions.

Howver, national examinations candidates will remain in schools, Education Secretary Leah Rotich said in a circular on the closure.

Kenya has about 14 million students in primary, secondary schools and TTCs.

Out of these 937,467 candidates will sit KCPE while 525,802 will sit KCSE this year.

In the circular sent to education officials, Ms Rotich said the closure decision had been arrived at because there was no learning in schools since the commencement of the teachers strike.

Later, the Cabinet released a statement saying the decision had been taken for the safety of students.

But private schools asked their members to ignore the directive saying the government had not given them any reason as to why they should close their schools.

Kenya Private schools association Chief Executive officer Peter Ndoro said: “We have been ambushed by the government as they did not consult us in coming up with the decision. We are not convinced that we should close.”

And teachers unions described the move as a desperate move by the government to break their resolve to fight for their rights.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the decision was a deliberate attempt to break the teachers strike after failing to honour a court order.

“The government wants to divert attention from the embarrassment of failing to respect a court order and it’s a cheap strategy and does not bother us,” said Mr Sossion.

He said the only answer to the strike is paying the teachers and not sideshows.

His Kuppet counterpart Akelo Misori said: “What the government has done is to close the doors and gates of schools since no one was there teaching.”

Catholic Church head John Cardinal Njue said he will be able to make a comment on the issue once he has got a brief.

Anglican Church of Kenya, Mumias Diocese’s Bishop Beaneah Salala said the decision is unfortunate and clearly shows that the government has failed.

“By the government closing schools it is declaring that it failed. You cannot leave a critical sector like education to close down and you are there,” said Bishop Salala.

He said the government was not sincere in talks with the teachers from the word go and has allowed the issue to take political angle instead of a development and policy issue.

“The government is talking of candidates remaining in schools with who and to do what? We should not subject our children to this inhuman  activities,” said Bishop Salala.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) said:

“This is not the solution to the current crisis in the education sector. The order by the government to close all schools is an attempt to intimidate teachers who are exercising their democratic right to fair remuneration and the right to strike and picket,” said ODM in a statement.

However, Kenya National Association of Parents Secretary General Musau Ndunda supported the decision saying that the safety of students was at risk without the presence of teachers.

Elimu Yetu Coalition Director Janet Muthoni said: “The closing of schools clearly shows that the government is in control and not unions.”

Ms Rotich asked teachers to continue assisting the 2015 candidates for the examination as Kenya National Examination Council announced that 1.4 million candidates will sit this year’s tests.

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination will start on November 10 and end on November 12 whereas Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education theory papers will start on October 12.

“It is expected that TSC teachers who are in school and BOM teachers will continue to teach and prepare KCPE and KCSE candidates, those already engaged in Knec examination management will also be expected to perform their duties as per the Knec Act 2012,’” said Ms Rotich.

She said some of the schools had started sending students home because they were becoming unruly as a result of being idle.

The decision to close schools is the latest strategy by the government to deal with the teachers who have been on strike for the last three weeks demanding the implementation of a 50-60 percent salary increase that they were awarded by a court.

It was reached after a day-long meeting at Jogoo House on Thursday.