Kericho county has emerged as the hardest hit region in the ongoing sackings of Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Kericho county has so far accounted for a cumulative total of 154 intern teachers who have lost their jobs since the sackings commenced on Monday, June 10, 2024.
Disparities Across Counties
Though Kericho County has the highest number of terminations, the situation differs sharply in other regions. For example:
- Kwale County: Only 11 JSS teachers have been sacked. These teachers have been promptly replaced to ensure the continuity of learning.
- Counties with Zero Terminations: Bomet, Narok, and Uasin Gishu County have not reported any JSS teacher terminations.
Impact in Kwale County
Other teachers who were sacked in Kwale County from different schools are those from Kifyonzo, Chirima, Jitegemee, Mbilini, Mzizima, Kikonde, Mlungunipa, Bilashaka, Maiyini, Ndo Hivyo, and Fuleye Junior Secondary School. The Commission has, however, come forth swiftly to replace the teachers so as to maintain the standard of education.
Reasons for Terminations
The reasons for these terminations follow recent protests by JSS intern teachers, who protested against low pay and wanted their contracts converted to better terms of service—Permanent and Pensionable (PnP).
Most teachers replied to the show-cause letters with explanations that the Commission could not find sufficient; hence, they were sent packing.
TSC’s Official Stance
This was made known by the TSC through letters of termination that cited unsatisfactory responses to allegations of professional misconduct as the main reason of terminations. In the letters, TSC argued that:
“The Commission has carefully considered your response and found the same to be unsatisfactory.”
Nationwide Impact
So far more than 700 JSS intern teachers across the country have lost their jobs in an exercise that is still ongoing. The terminations have opened up discussions that pin on the treatment of intern teachers and the conditions in which they are subjected to while working.
Ensuring Continuity of Education
In spite of this, the Commission has moved with speed to ensure that dismissed teachers have been replaced promptly in the places where it matters most, such as in Kwale County, so that students are not denied the right to an education for lack of teachers.