Education news briefs, Friday, 5.10.2018

Education news briefs, Friday, 5.10.2018
File Photo- Hon Wilson Sossion

Three pupils hit by an over speeding vehicle in Murang’a, one dies on spot

A pupil has succumbed to injuries sustained after being knocked by an over speeding vehicle at kianderi village, kiharu constituency, in Murang’a county, yesterday. The pupil, schooling at Kianderi primary school, was in the company of 2 others as they left school for their homes. According to an eye witness, Mary Wamuyu, “The accident occurred at 4.00 pm (Yesterday) as the kids were trekking home from school. An over speeding vehicle lost control and hit the 3 kids; killing one of them instantly”.

This road referred to as ‘nyoka nyoka’ by locals connects 4 constituencies namely: Kangema, Kiharu, Kandara and Kigumo.  The locals say their pleas to have bumps erected on this road have been ignored from time to time. The angry residents have now vowed to erect bumps on the dangerous road if the government does not act.

International Teachers Day Celebrations

The kenya National Union of teachers top brass leadership led by the General Secretary wilson Sossion joined teachers at the Teso KNUT branch, today, to celebrate the annual world teachers’ day. This happened as the TSC

Private schools teachers meet in Eldoret.

Four hundred teachers drawn from various private schools congregated aat Noble restaurant in Eldoret today to deliberate on implementation of the new Competency Based Curriculum, CBC. The new CBC is expected to be fully rolled out next year as concerns emerge on unpreparedness of the government to offer the much needed support to enable production of instructional materials for grade 4. This has caused unprecedented anxiety among teachers, parents and pupils.

Speaking to the press today, at Eldoret, the officials of the Kenya Private Schools association, KPSA, said they were confident that the government still has enough time to provide direction and instructional materials for the CBC, in the remaining time; ahead of roll out in January, 2019. The officials said it will be unfortunate if the kids will be forced to revert to the old education system.

Trouble at the Education sector as KNUT accuses TSC for collapsed Naivasha talks

The Kenya National Union of Teachers, KNUT, has given the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, 14 days ultimatum to reverse the transfers of 85 teachers serving as union officials. This is after the TSC transferred the officials under its contentious delocalization programme. Speaking to journalists yesterday, KNUT General Secretary, wilson Sossion, warned of dire consequences if the Commission will not reciprocate on the union’s demands. “Promotion of teachers shall not be evaded. That one shall have to be done. Delocalization and punitive transfers which constitute bullying must stop.. we do not need a meeting (to discuss such obvious issues),” said an angry Sossion.

Hon. Sossion was quick to deny that the union stormed out of the Naivasha talks. He, instead, blamed the TSC of playing games with teachers’ ,matters. “They say we walked out of Naivasha. Here we are in Naivasha, we have not left Naivasha,” Sossion said. The union now demands an immediate stop to delocalization of teachers, promotion of over the 30,000 teachers who had attained higher qualifications and an immediate stop to the ongoing Performance appraisal Contracting programme. While explaining why KNUT is opposed to delocalization, Sossion said, “Delocalization of teachers by the Commission has dismantled family units. This is a very grave thing.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the TSC the meeting was adjourned on KNUT request after it rejected a proposal that the union had placed on the table seeking to have transfers of teachers serving as union officials revoked, immediately. The TSC maintained that the transfers of teachers are guided by regulations which can not be applied selectively.

As days draw closer to the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education and Kenya Certificate of primary Education exams, it remains if the KNUT will make good of its plan to cause industrial disruptions in the education sector; by calling a teachers’ strike.

Students decry lack of water at school, forced to walk long distances for the rare commodity

Students at Ingangara secondary school have come out to strongly criticize the lack of water at school that forces them to wake up very early in the wee hours to search for the rare commodity. The students who trek for over 2 kilometers to fetch water from the nearest stream now say this exhausts them and they can not concentrate well on their studies. Speaking to members of the press, the disillusioned students expressed concern that the water supplied from the community local supply comes for only 30 minutes twice a week. They say such volume of water is too low and can not meet the needs of the students’ population. “We have to come down every evening to the river to come and fetch water which is tiresome,” said one of the girls.

According to the students, the situation had affected their education as they spend almost half of their time going to the river to collect this essential commodity. The pessimistic students are now appealing to the Counnty government and the area Member of Parliament to connect them to a stable water supply source such that their studies are not affected.

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