As the third term of the 2024 academic year kicks off on Monday, parents across the country are being urged to ensure their children report to their respective primary and secondary schools despite looming uncertainty over a planned teachers’ strike. The Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Migos, on Sunday assured both teachers and parents that the government is fully committed to addressing the concerns raised by educators, which have led to the threat of industrial action.
The unrest within the teaching fraternity stems from allegations that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has failed to fully implement the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which was negotiated to improve teachers’ working conditions and remuneration. This has led to the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) issuing a strike notice, urging its members to stay away from learning institutions until their grievances are addressed.
In response to the impending strike, Migos emphasized the government’s ongoing efforts to resolve the issues at hand. He highlighted that significant strides have already been made, including the provision of resources for the implementation of the second phase of the CBA, effective from July 1, 2024. This phase includes salary adjustments and other benefits that are crucial to improving the welfare of teachers across the country.
“The Government has also allocated resources to retool teachers for the effective implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which is a key priority in our education sector,” Migos stated. He further reiterated the government’s commitment to adopting a consultative approach with all stakeholders, including teachers’ unions, to find a satisfactory resolution to the outstanding issues.
Despite these assurances, tensions remain high, particularly within KUPPET, which has been at the forefront of pushing for the strike. During the union’s National Governing Council meeting held on Sunday, 68 members voted in favor of the industrial action. KUPPET’s leadership has accused the TSC of dragging its feet on the full implementation of the CBA, leaving teachers feeling undervalued and underpaid.
“We have waited long enough. The TSC must honor its commitments under the CBA, or we will have no choice but to down our tools,” said KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori during the meeting. Misori’s sentiments reflect the frustration felt by many teachers who have been grappling with stagnant wages and a perceived lack of support from the government.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), which had also initially signaled its intention to join the strike, made a sudden U-turn. In a statement released on Sunday, KNUT’s Secretary-General, Collins Henry Oyuu, directed all its members to report to schools as scheduled on Monday, August 26, 2024.
Oyuu explained that KNUT had decided to address the remaining issues through administrative channels rather than resorting to industrial action. “We have engaged in constructive dialogue with the TSC and the government, and we believe that a satisfactory resolution can be achieved without disrupting the education of our learners,” he said.
The decision by KNUT to back down from the strike has injected a degree of optimism into the situation, with many hoping that it will pave the way for a broader resolution of the issues raised by KUPPET. Nonetheless, the specter of a strike still looms, with KUPPET members remaining resolute in their demands.
As schools reopen, the focus will now shift to the ongoing negotiations between the TSC, the government, and the teachers’ unions. Parents and students alike will be hoping that a swift resolution is found, allowing the third term to proceed without further disruptions. The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the academic calendar will continue as planned or if the nation’s schools will once again be plunged into turmoil.
In the meantime, the Education Cabinet Secretary has reassured all stakeholders that the government remains committed to ensuring that learning continues uninterrupted and that teachers’ concerns are addressed in a manner that is fair and just.
