The Ministry of Education announced that it will pay teachers registered under the Teachers Service Commission, salaries up to nine months during the Covid-19 pandemic. This was after Education CS George Magoha extended school closure to 2021.
Private school and Board of Management (BOM) teachers were left in limbo, with many turning towards Kazi Mtaani Youth Program to put food on the table.
Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, while addressing a gathering in Bungoma County on Sunday, July 19, detailed that he will table a bill in Senate to push CS Magoha to aid unregistered teachers who were excluded from the relief package.
"On Tuesday, July 21, I will raise these issues in the Senate. Private teachers and subordinated staff, from watchmen to cooks have not been paid even a single cent yet the government budgeted money to facilitate activities in schools for the year 2020.
Malala urged CS Magoha to release the capitation money lest he puts him on the spotlight. He also urged him to enroll private teachers as they are part of the youth who need to be represented.
The government pays Ksh22,244 annually for every secondary school student and Ksh1,420 for each pupil in primary school.
It also releases 50% of the capitation to schools in the first term, 30% in the second term and 20% in the third term.
Several private schools risk closure as they are dependant on parents who were also affected by Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Parents with students in private school were also directed to plan on transferring students from the institutions to public schools.
Mary Tanui, manager at Lessos Education Centre in Nandi County lamented that she feared for the 400 pupils since they were not sure if all teachers would resume work. The proprietor added that the government had neglected them at the hour of need despite making huge contributions to the education sector.
"We rely on fees paid by parents to pay our staff, who are now jobless," Tanui stated.
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