The Bomet branch of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has come out to complain regarding the employment exercise where P1 teachers have been sidelined; indicating, their employment now needs to be prioritized. This call comes amidst the TSC increasing its focus on hiring JSS teachers instead, an aspect that has seen P1 tutors feel overshadowed.
The KNUT Bomet branch executive secretary, Desmond Lang’at addressed the media to air the union’s fears. According to Lang’at, P1 teachers who are qualified to handle primary school learners have largely been sidelined by the recent employment efforts.
“TSC is now focusing on hiring JSS teachers, forgetting P1 tutors. These tutors are highly qualified to handle the primary section hence they should be prioritized,” he noted.
He pointed out that the shift of focus towards JSS has created a worrying trend in neglecting primary school educators. According to him, the training and expertise of P1 teachers enable them to handle younger learners within the primary section better.
Apart from that, Lang’at called for the retooling of JSS teachers to complement his stand in advocating for the employment of P1 teachers. It is important to have this retooling to ensure JSS are relevant in handling a comprehensive school system since their training was tilted towards secondary education.
Despite these challenges, Lang’at applauded the teachers in that region for their discipline and hard work. Noted was that Bomet County had not recorded any indiscipline cases of teachers in the recent past, a reflection of devotion and commitment of educators in the area.
“Teachers here in this region are hardworking. As a union, we are happy and hereby thank our teachers. No case of indiscipline has been reported among our members in the recent past. This is encouraging.” Lang’at said.