The fate of the 46,000 intern Junior Secondary School teachers awaiting confirmation to permanent and pensionable terms hangs in the balance following Friday’s rejection of the Finance Bill by President William Ruto. This has caused heavy budget cuts in various government sectors including education, an aspect that casts a shadow on future employment for teachers.
Presidential Directive and Budget Implications
On June 28, 2024, President William Ruto ordered the National Treasury to prepare supplementary estimates for the reduction of expenditure by the amount of revenue which could have been generated by the rejected Finance Bill. The President returned the Bill to the National Assembly instructing them to delete all clauses. What this means is that expenditure has been reduced by KSh 346 billion, with budget cuts that hit all the three arms of government down to ministries, departments, and agencies.
Impact on Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and Education Sector
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) could get KSh18.9 billion less than what was previously allocated becoming the worst hit by the new budget. Following this, the Treasury has ordered the TSC to put off the confirmation process of the JSS interns to permanent positions and barred them from recruiting new intern teachers. For the 46,000 JSS intern teachers, this spells a dark situation, who were in high spirits awaiting confirmation since 2023.
In addition to the TSC, other departments within the education sector are also facing substantial budget reductions:
- Higher Education and Research: Budget cut by KSh8.3 billion.
- Higher Education Loans Board (HELB): Funding reduced by KSh3.2 billion, potentially affecting many students’ access to loans.
- Infrastructure Projects: Budget slashed by KSh3 billion.
- Differentiated Unit Cost: Reduced by KSh2.1 billion.
- Basic Education: Budget decreased by KSh3.4 billion, with the school feeding program seeing a KSh1.8 billion cut and school infrastructure budget reduced by KSh1.6 billion.
- Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET): Budget cut by KSh800 million, affecting ongoing projects.
Potential Consequences for Education
In the end, the huge budget cuts facing education will likely not spare any sector of it including employing JSS on permanent and pensionable terms. While rejection of the finance bill might favor some sectors, JSS intern teachers might have to continue waiting for funds availability to get better terms, meaning it’ll have a ripple effect on the security of their jobs and also the quality of education in its totality.
The funding cuts to HELB and funds for higher education and research may affect the opportunities available for higher education and professional growth. Infrastructure cuts will slow down the much-yearned-for improvements and expansion in educational facilities, adding further strain to the already overstretched system.