School attendance was desperately low on the first day of Third Term in schools within Kenya’s Central region. According to Central Region Director of Education Sabina Aroni, most students had not turned up to school despite teachers reporting to welcome them back. Most classes were empty or nearly so; some schools reportedly received as few as a couple of students, while many classes did not turn up at all.
Aroni lamented the poor turn-out and said, “We are still trying to find out what could have resulted in such poor attendance by learners.” This situation has questioned what exactly contributes to their poor attendance rates.
Elsewhere, school teachers affiliated to the Kenya National Union of Teachers adhered to their various stations as directed by the union after announcing the call-off of the nationwide strike. On Sunday, KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu declared an end to the strike after the union reached a deal to iron out grievances with the Teachers Service Commission, TSC.
However, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, KUPPET in Nyeri joined other counties in holding demonstrations. They said that the teachers, led by Nyeri KUPPET Executive Secretary Francis Wanjohi, would continue with their industrial action until the government fully implemented the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Wanjohi blasted TSC and the government for failing to honor the pledge relating to the second phase of salary increments that was due to disburse last week.
Among the demands put forward by KUPPET include the promotion of 130,000 teachers who have stagnated in their present job grades, confirmation of Junior Secondary intern teachers into permanent and pensionable employment, while wanting to have the issues surrounding the teachers’ medical cover and non-remittance of loans and NSSF deductions by the TSC solved forthwith. “Such delays and unfulfilled promises are unacceptable, especially as they affect the very teachers at the heart of implementing the Competency-Based Curriculum”, Wanjohi said.
The continuous strike and demonstrations express the growing desperation among teachers in their quest for fairness and delivery on the government’s promise as the education sector receives this new term with uncertainty.