Background and Context
In an unfortunate move, Teachers Service Commission has commenced the termination of internship for its Junior Secondary School teachers on grounds of professional misconduct. This has just come weeks after intern teachers of the same cadre had started holding protests to demand for fairness in giving them permanent employment terms.
Details of Termination
Copies of the letters of termination that we have seen are dated 6th June 2024, and they seem to have been written separately to the different interns affected. They claim that engagement in internship has been discontinued due to professional misconduct, specifically deserting duty on 13th May 2024.
The termination letters, which appear to be standardized, include the following rationale:
- Desertion of Duty: The letters accuse the interns of abandoning their responsibilities, an act classified as professional misconduct.
- Previous Warnings: On May 22, 2024, TSC issued show-cause letters to the interns, requesting explanations for their absences. The interns were given 14 days to respond, warning that failure to provide a satisfactory explanation would result in termination.
Response from TSC and Teachers
All attempts to elicit a comment from TSC over the issue through phone calls and text messages were fruitless. The termination letters, from the employer, anyway cite the responses from the intern as unsatisfactory and those of show-cause notices; they are subjected to prior justification to the actions.
A permanent teacher at the Nairobi Primary School, who sought anonymity on the sensitive matter, confirmed that this is the information that has been going around the staff room. According to him, two of the interns in his school, who were very active in the protest, received the termination letters.
Reactions and Implications
The terminations have, in turn, raised grave concerns among the members of the teaching fraternity, who are being viewed as supporters of the cause to agitate for the internees to be permanently employed. Whereas the termination by TSC of the internships for the teachers appearing before the commission on the said public rally may have been a punitive measure, a big question is being raised as to what the teachers’ rights are vis-Ã -vis better working conditions.
Moving Forward
The situation on the ground is changing as more intern teachers wait for the boot to fall on them. The silence on the part of TSC over the issue, coupled with the lack of information flowing, has placed most teachers in the cold, with more uncertainty on what happens next. The unfolding events are truly a testament to the struggles and competition that has characterized the education sector, especially when it comes to conditions of service and the rights of teachers.