Junior Secondary School intern teachers have agreed to end their three-week strike after signing a return-to-work formula on Saturday, June 1.
The agreement, reached on Madaraka Day, promises to bring much-needed relief to students who have been stranded since the second term began. The teachers will return to class as early as Monday, June 3.
The strike, which left many students seeking private tutors or resorting to online studies, came to an end following successful negotiations led by the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). The teachers had been demanding permanent and pensionable employment, a request that has now been addressed with assurances from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori announced the breakthrough, revealing that TSC had agreed to several key terms. "We must go back to normalcy," Misori declared. "We are moving back to class."
Among the concessions made by TSC was the withdrawal of all show-cause letters issued to teachers for their participation in the strike. This move is seen as a significant gesture towards reconciliation and normalcy.
Additionally, TSC committed to reinstating teachers who had been deregistered and had their salaries withheld due to their involvement in the strikes. "Some of them have been removed from the register altogether, and they did not get their salaries. We have agreed they must be reinstated," Misori confirmed.
Looking ahead, TSC has outlined plans to employ up to 26,000 Junior Secondary School intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms by January 2025. This move will require a substantial financial commitment, with TSC estimating the cost at Ksh8.3 billion.
The broader context of these negotiations was highlighted earlier this week when the National Assembly Committee on Education, led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, presented budget estimates for the 2024/25 financial year.
The Committee's submissions, received by the Budget and Appropriations Committee headed by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, included an allocation to TSC to convert 26,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms.
To this end, Ksh8.3 billion has been earmarked to secure permanent employment for the striking teachers, while an additional Ksh4.7 billion will be used to recruit 20,000 intern teachers.
However, Misori stated that KUPPET and TSC are in talks to convert the intended hiring of 20,000 interns to instead be used to hire those who were already hired as interns to be moved into permanent and pensionable terms.
The agreement also responds to the recommendation that TSC should begin converting the 26,000 interns into permanent positions starting in July 2024, rather than the initially proposed January 2025. This recommendation was made to ensure a smoother and quicker transition for the teachers.
This resolution comes as a major victory for the Junior Secondary School teachers and a critical step towards stabilising the education sector. The return to classrooms will undoubtedly be welcomed by students and parents alike, marking the end of a period of uncertainty and disruption.
