I have closely been following discussions in the print, social and broadcast media on the sensitive yet disturbing subject of teenage pregnancies. The discussions have attracted enormous opinions ranging from confining the adolescent girls to the house, not allowing them to visit relatives to restricting them from watching the TVs, using mobile phones, assessing internet and even visiting their friends. To me these are just but precipitating factors to an already vulnerable individual.
We ought to embrace the reality.
It may not be possible to isolate the girls from the society! It may not be possible to isolate the adolescents from their relatives and even domestic workers at home. It may not be possible to isolate these young people from their friends and is even equally impossible to separate them with smart phones, the TV and the most influential the internet!
Prevention of teenage pregnancies squarely depends on how the young girls handle these influences! They need to understand and appreciate the physiological changes that come with the adolescent stage! Studies and experience indicate that most adolescents do not have accurate knowledge about sexuality and how to deal with sexuality issues. How often do parents, teachers, religious leadership offer sexuality education to these girls? You will agree with me, rarely or never at all. These girls somehow get to learn from available sources including peers and the media! Such information may not be accurate! If they don’t learn from these sources, then Then it becomes guess work. The results are; teenage pregnancies and other related challenges!
This is a wake up call! A wake up call before all our teenagers in schools become mothers!! Let us teach them, let us give accurate sexuality knowledge both at home, school and even in religious gatherings!
Equally the young people need to be empowered with skills on how to handle the influences cited above! They need to be thoroughly trained on assertive skills and decision making skills. They need to be empowered on how to deal with peer pressure, they need to be trained on friendship formation. They too need to be empowered with negotiation skills! They need to be empowered on how to deal with adolescent relationship!
The teenager should know that they are the Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, of their future and lives! The answer to this challenge is empowering the teenagers to know how to handle these influences! The influences are there to stay! In fact, they become sophisticated each passing day!!
There is still HOPE!! Let us Empower and Mentor these Teenagers.
By Alice Songok Tenai
The Writer is a Teacher, Counselling Psychologist and Mentor.
Her contact: 0721688758
The Government of Kenya through the Kenya Housing Fund is set to roll out a mandatory housing scheme for all workers. The housing scheme targets a minimum of Kshs. 3.4 Billion annually from employers and employers after the housing fund levy was signed into law by the President in the 2018 Finance Bill. provision of low cost housing units is part of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s big 4 Agenda. The housing scheme was expected to be rolled out in January 2019, but its implementation was halted by the High Court, in December 2018, after a petition was filled by the Central Organization of trade Unions’ (COTU) secretary, Mr. Francis Atwoli. Also opposed to the implementation of the housing scheme are the two teachers’ unions; the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). Read more details here:Reprieve for employees as Court suspends the controversial Contributory housing scheme
Rationale behind the introduction of the Housing Scheme:
The implementation of the Housing Scheme is geared towards helping the government to deliver 500,000 affordable housing units in 5 years. This is in a bid to curb the expansion of slums in major towns in Kenya: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and other towns. Presently, Kenya as a country requires a minimum of 250,000 housing units annually. Unfortunately, the government and other private developers are able to build about 50,000 housing units. This leaves an unmet demand/ deficit of 200,000 housing units per year.
How much will each worker contribute?
Under the Affordable housing scheme, employees will contribute 1.5 percent of their monthly basic salaries towards the National Housing Development Fund while the employer tops up with an equal amount; provided that the sum of the employer and employee’s contributions do not exceed Kshs. 5,000 per month. Employees earning over kshs. 166,000 per month will contribute Kshs. 2,500. The housing scheme will be accessed through a tenant purchase scheme for those in the low cost housing bracket. For employees with high income, they will be given mortgages.
How will i get a housing unit, once I start contributing?
The kenyan government will run a yearly lottery to match the employees who have booked the number of housing units available. This is meant to block the the rich employees from buying several housing units so as to rent them out. The winners of the lotteries will hence start paying for the housing units.
When does the housing scheme mature?
According to the finance bill of 2018, a contributor will have to wait for a minimum period of fifteen years before the fund matures. “For employees who qualify for affordable housing, the contributions accrue to the employee and shall be used to finance the purchase of a home under the affordable housing scheme (upon expiry of the fifteen years from the date one starts to make contributions),” reads the 2018 finance bill, in part.
Contributions by individuals shall only be accessed for purposes of offsetting housing loans, security for mortgage or housing development after five years of uninterrupted contribution and shall attract such an annual return as may be determined by the Corporation. The Corporation shall set out the rate of return on investment for the contribution made by the employer and employee. The Corporation shall, on an annual basis specify the return applicable on members’ contributions into the Housing Fund.
How does one qualify for the Housing fund?
Home buyers will qualify for the social houses bracket if they earn less than Kshs. 15,000. Those earning between Kshs. 15,000 to Kshs. 49,000 per month will qualify for the low cost housing units. While, employees earning monthly salaries of Kshs. 50,000 to 99,000 will qualify for mortgages.
The home buyers will be given a 15% monthly tax relief on their gross earnings when they pay for the housing units.
Is the housing scheme open for self employed individuals?
For self employed individuals, they are classified as voluntary members under the contributory housing scheme. Every voluntary member shall contribute to the Housing Fund a minimum contribution of one hundred shillings designated to cover the costs and operations of the Housing Fund and a minimum amount of one hundred shillings per month to accrue as a benefit to the member.
Am I allowed to contribute more than the quoted figure of 1.5%?
Every member of the Housing Fund may make additional contributions which shall be credited to member’s individual account as the Housing Fund Credit.
The Corporation shall cause to be established and maintained for each member of the Housing Fund, an individual account to be known as the Housing Fund Credit to which shall be credited all contributions made to the Housing Fund by and in respect of each member of the Housing Fund.
What happens to my contributions if I earn over Kshs. 100,000?
Employees who earn over Kshs. 100,000 per month do not qualify for benefits from the housing scheme. Such employees do not qualify because they are classified under the high income range. For this group of employees, they will have their contributions and all interest accrued transferred to their retirement schemes after 15 years or upon reaching retirement age; whichever comes first.
What happens if I fail to contribute?
Any employer who fails, neglects or refuses to make a contribution under this regulation commits an offence and shall, upon conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term of two years or to a fine not exceeding ten thousand shillings or to both.
For the past few weeks, there have been unconfirmed rumours that the head of State, HE Uhuru Kenyatta, may reshuffle his Cabinet Secretaries. If the rumours come to pass, then one Dr Amina Mohammed (the Education Ministry’s Cabinet Secretary) may not be spared; going by the words on the tongues of most Kenyans. Dr Amina’s critics blame her for incompetence occasioned by the myriad of hasty decisions that she has been making of late.
First it was the confusion caused by the way she has handled the implementation of the New Competency Based Curriculum. Maybe, Dr Amina was right when she first insinuated that the country was not ready for the roll out of the new Curriculum. According to Dr Amina, then, the teachers had not been adequately prepared for the implementation of the new Curriculum. Of course, this is a fact but this pronouncement caused unprecedented ripples and anger from a section of Kenyans; more so parents with kids in lower primary.
Few days later, the Cabinet Secretary would emerge and announce that implementation of the new Curriculum would go ahead as scheduled. And, indeed, the Curriculum was rolled out in Lower primary classes, last week. What informed her turnaround is a mystery, for now.
Another decision by the Education Ministry, which has caused discomfort among parents, is that of forcing form ones to join secondary schools as placed by the Ministry via the National Education Management Information System, NEMIS. For months, now, the Ministry had rigidly clung to this stance till last night; when the Principal Secretary emerged with a softer stand; regarding the admissions. Parents whose kids had been selected to join far flung schools have had sleepless nights. One parent wondered why his daughter from Nairobi had been placed at a county school in Nyamira. “The irony of the story is you in central Kenya and your kid get a letter of admission from Lamu how on earth can you take your kid that far!,” wonders Macharia Njenga (A parent).
According to Godfrey Kimega, a parent, schools should be left to do own admissions as has been the norm. “Centralization of high schools’ admissions is a really bad idea. Better to let schools handle admissions. The ministry should handle only national schools admissions,” says Mr. Kimega.
” The second question that has so far not been addressed is what happens to the hundreds of students who’s details cannot be found on the Ministry of Educations form one selection portal. Tell me Ambassador Amina where are they supposed to go,” quips @ovendi101 on Twitter. Students most affected are those who were manually selected to join private and Sub- county schools. The truth is, some students are yet to receive their calling letters; leave alone knowing the schools in which they were placed. But, it is a relieve for them after the Ministry allowed manual selection of form ones by Principals at school level; provided such data is uploaded to the NEMIS system for ratification.
On the flip side, boys were selected to join form one in girls’ schools and vice versa; during the electronic placement via the NEMIS system.
Consequently, Kenyans have been ‘angered’ by the Cabinet Secretary’s shaky decisions. Some want President Uhuru Kenyatta to take Dr Amina to be taken back to the Foreign Affairs docket; where she ostensibly ‘did best’. Here is a collation of some Kenyans, online:
@ovendi101: “This flip flopping on policy in the Ministry of Education doesn’t help. It is now quite apparent that a steady had is needed at the Ministry of Education because this is a very sensitive docket.”
@ToneyAusteen: “Education ,the most important of all the sectors is being toyed with. The future of this nation is in deep https://mess.So sad.”
@meshwendo: ” She (Dr Amina) is consistently inconsistent. From the implementation of the new curriculum to the form one selection by head teachers.”
@Jken_O: “Many have bought uniforms + other school specific items incurred costs, only those who can afford will now make the change of schools if possible.”
@Peter80329373: “She is not the right person for this ministry. This requires a decisive and firm person. We miss (Dr) Matiangi.”
@c-abong: “So many U-turns! The worst education minister ever, gambling with the future of this country’s kids. How are decisions made in the education ministry? Very worrying indeed”
It is painful to watch the TSC overreacting to the court order requiring it to promote teachers who are waiting for promotions after acquiring higher academic qualifications. Honestly speaking,these teachers are not making a strange demand. They are sharing stations and staff rooms with fellow teachers who have got promotions on the basis of such qualifications.
Here below,I wish to make some points very clear:
1.The assertions by KEPSHA and KESSHA that the teachers are against the recent court ruling is a white lie. It is the Head teachers,principals and other administrators who are opposing it. This is because the current CBA favoured them at the expense of the assistant teachers who were obviously sidelined.
2.The stopping of promotions of teachers upon acquisition of higher academic qualifications is not in the interests of those teachers. In fact,the court was clear that it is a deviation from the existing schemes of service. TSC last promoted teachers on this scheme of service in January 2014.
3.RESOURCES: These teachers took loans and sold property in a bid to sharpen their skills and thereby benefit from the lawful schemes of service only for the employer to frustrate their aspirations. Some have retired or even died without benefitting despite being qualified. It is stressful that those in service share staff rooms with others who were promoted on the same schemes.
4.KEPSHA and KESSHA: It is ironical that the unions secured a CBA which overly favoured these administrators YET assistant teachers did not stand against it since after all,they too are teachers. This is despite the fact that a number of such heads (particularly in primary) just hold P1 certificates. What makes them think that promotions and better remuneration only belong to the heads, deputies and senior teachers?
The truth is that the main teaching force (assistant teachers) is opposed to the infamous stance taken by these heads. Let them keep off the issue affecting these deserving teachers. Let them shelve their greed.
PASSIONATE APPEAL
TO THE TSC:
Please purpose to feel for and promote these teachers promptly. It’s inhuman to keep on ignoring their plight while the men and women are suffering yet expected to perform well. Promote those whose KCSE grades allowed them to go for further training.
TO THE KNUT:
Be realistic in your demands. TSC is under obligation to promote ONLY THOSE WENT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION WITH THE MINIMUM PREREQUISITE QUALIFICATIONS. Why, for example, would someone pursue a bachelor’s degree without at least a mean grade of C+ in KCSE? Do not present such cases to be considered for promotion thereby causing a mix up!
TO THE PRESIDENT:
Mr President,these teachers are neither too many nor do they belong to a lesser god. Do not allow the supremacy battles between KNUT and TSC to continue pushing the qualified teachers into depression and desperation.
CONCLUSION
The TSC has the mandate to vet the teachers to whom it sent acknowledgement letters. Let them be vetted and those qualified promoted as a matter of urgency.
OR
Let all these teachers who have rightfully earned higher academic qualifications be invited to a place and killed all at once. This will end their their suffering and false hopes.
The author, Mr. Amos Ongechi Oirongo, is a Teacher at St.Don Boco Primary School-Kisii County.
The Government has today, Tuesday 16th April- 2019, announced that it will roll out its Low Cost Housing Fund Levy; effective this month.
This step by the government to push an unpopular, political housing scheme down the throats of the Kenyan workers is suspicious, ill intended and an unacceptable burden on the already overburdened Kenyan worker who is currently enduring amongst the highest taxes and statutory deductions in the world which raid our payslips each month.
The manner in which it passed in Parliament speaks volumes. It was undoubtedly unpopular and lacked moral support, no wonder those who purportedly supported it were too ashamed to defend it in the floor of the house. How will this teacher working somewhere in the interior of Kisii county benefit from a low cost housing scheme project being effected in Nairobi or any other town situated hundreds of kilometers from Kisii?
Kenyans are investment conscious and are known to be Keen on real estate and housing at individual level, who are these employees that the government imagines are so much in need of this scheme? Assuming the scheme becomes the first efficiently implemented project in a country where plundering public resources is fashionable, how many units will be done per month and how will the units be distributed such that each employee has a unit? How will the units be distributed factoring in the geographical working places of each employee? What is the existing legal framework that will protect the interests of the employees?
Come to think of this.. A teacher is hacked to death by his own students; the ones he endeavors to help garner a bright future! This, to the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, is just a normal happening! This has irked Union Leaders who feel there is a disconnect between the teachers and their employer; the TSC. See the reaction below;
“In August 2018, a teacher Mr. Manase Ong’ole was killed by three students on his way home. The other day, another teacher Peter Omare was killed by students, because a student had a phone in school . Very few people talk about it, authorities seem disinterested. A few months ago, another teacher was murdered by students in Kisumu but again the silence was deafening. If the same students who killed a teacher were punished for having the phone in school, by the same teacher, It would be big news by now. The teacher would be having his interdiction letter by now and would probably be in police cells for all sorts of accusations, the education officials and human rights activists would have loudly condemned the teacher and possibly visited the school to issue several threats but they are all silent yet a life is lost. A life of a Kenyan who was discharging his mandate professionally and dutifully. Life of a teacher, a son, a husband, a father, a friend, a breadwinner. The rising cases of teachers being killed by students should be a cause for worry to all and should not only be condemned but also addressed firmly. This is a serious red flag on our social fabric as a nation. How many more teachers will be killed by the very students they are tasked to nurture before it captures the authorities eyes? I appeal to the government to address this new trend firmly.”
By Laban Ouko Bosire.
The writer is a Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, KUPPET, Chair in Kisii County.
The Ambira incident should be a wake up call to the government that you can’t give absolute rights to the children without putting in place proper checks to ensure indiscipline is dealt with firmly. Teachers deal with worse cases year in year out.
When such students are suspended, the ministry comes in very first with the clauses on learners rights forgetting that each time students appear to win in cases against the school authorities, the authorities simply become weak and create a sense of “am above the law/regulations attitude and we will always have our way mentality” in these young people.
Just when we were wondering what happened at Ambira, the Bomet incident happens making the Ambira incident look like a Christmas party. Read more here: Police arrest 30 students for engaging in a sex orgy
What do these two incidences communicate? Its simply that as a people we are losing in nurturing this young generation.
When you degrade the teacher, condemn the teacher at every opportunity, demotivate the teacher how do you expect the young observant Kenyans to respect the same teacher? How do you expect these young Kenyans to accept to be moulded by this same teacher you so much belittle each day. To destroy a nation, destroy the foundation of education by degrading the teacher.
Now which way Kenya? Go back to the crossroads, consult and involve the teacher in policy formulation. Respect the teacher, then the learner will respect the teacher and take his/her advice seriously then, only then will we win this war.
Affordable housing is one of President Uhuru kenyatta’s big four agenda; others being Enhancing Manufacturing, Food Security & Nutrition and Universal Health care. The housing scheme has already been given a green light by the president, when he signed the 2018 Finance act, recently. Under the Affordable housing scheme, employees will contribute 1.5 percent of their monthly basic salaries towards the National Housing Development Fund while the employer tops up with an equal amount; provided that the sum of the employer and employee’s contributions do not exceed Kshs. 5,000 per month.
The Deputy President (H.E William Ruto), while addressing the Kenya union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) delegates on Saturday 15th December 2018, defended the housing scheme saying: “We want to make it possible for a Kenyan with five thousand shillings to have a mortgage (where they pay Ksh. 5,000 per month) and in fifteen years or twenty years, instead of paying rent of five or ten thousand (monthly) the house becomes yours.” This means that for one to own a house under this scheme he/she will have to wait for a whooping 15 years! This is not, definitely, a good deal for teachers whose payslips have already been raided by the marauding Monster; the AON-Minet Medical insurance scheme. Teachers are also staring at a loss of 7.5% of their salaries to a proposed contributory Pension scheme. In the scheme, the employee will contribute 7.5% of his/ her monthly earnings while, the employer tops it up with 15%. This scheme, to be effected next year (2019), is mandatory for all employees joining the service and all those below 45 years.
According to the finance bill of 2018, a contributor will have to wait for a minimum period of fifteen years before the fund matures. “For employees who qualify for affordable housing, the contributions accrue to the employee and shall be used to finance the purchase of a home under the affordable housing scheme (upon expiry of the fifteen years from the date one starts to make contributions),” reads the 2018 finance bill, in part. The sad part is, if one does not qualify for the housing unit or retires before the expiry of the fifteen years such an individual will either transfer the accrued sum to a pension scheme or receive the contributions in cash. When the contributions are to be paid in cash they shall be included in the contributor’s taxable income for that year and be subjected to tax; at the prevailing rates. This is a big rip off, that is distasteful!
According to the Deputy President (DP), teachers will be the ‘biggest’ beneficiaries of the housing scheme. “In fact, the biggest beneficiaries of our housing scheme will be the teachers of Kenya; I dare to say and you will poof me right one day. (This is) because you are the people in the middle class,” said the DP. This was met with protests from the delegates who expressed their dissatisfaction; forcing the DP to say that the government was ready to engage the teachers further. “And that is why, Mr Secretary general (KUPPET’s Akello Misori) we are willing , we are ready, to sit down and engage with you on behalf of KUPPET and the teachers of Kenya. So that you can understand how this housing plan will benefit the teachers of Kenya,” said the DP. This caused, further, wild protests from the delegates. “We want to commit that even if it means we isolate part of this housing plan specifically for teachers, we will do that. Even if it means that we re-invent part of of this plan to belong specifically to teachers, we are willing to go that direction. Because you people (teachers) can see directly how your 1.5% (contribution) is going to benefit you,” the DP added.
The teachers’ unions are already opposed to the way this housing plan has been formulated and are asking the government to engage them in talks; on the way forward. On Thursday, the Kenya National Union of Teachers’ (KNUT) delegates made their intention clear on the housing scheme. The delegates, attending their Annual Delegates Conference at the BOMAS in Nairobi, shutdown the Principal secretary (to the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development), Mr. Charles Hinga Mwaura, when he stood to highlight on the scheme. The angry delegates did not give Mr. Hinga time to even introduce himself. A frustrated Mr. Hinga insisted that the Contributory Housing Scheme will be implemented as planned, amid shouting from the disgruntled delegates. KNUT’s Secretary General, Hon Wilson Sossion, has already warned of industrial action if the deduction is effected. This shows the gravity and anguish attached to the housing scheme.
Also opposed to the Housing scheme is the Secretary General to the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), Mr. Francis Atwoli. Similarly, during their Annual Delegates’ Conference (yesterday), KUPPET General Secretary (Mr. akello Misori) said teachers are strongly opposed to this housing scheme, as currently constituted. “Your excellency (the Deputy President), I do not want to forget this. There is a new legislation which require teachers or workers of this country to fund housing to the tune of 1.5% . We are apprehensive, because we feel that will do well with a mortgage, for professionals like us. But, the process of having this 1.5% is going to hurt us,” Akello told the deputy president.
Mr. Akello says if no talks are held between the union and the government, then they will call for industrial action from the members. “We will wish to ask a re-looking to this policy and therefore, the matter taken back to parliament. Currently, teachers are on loans, huge ones. Some of them do not earn,” added Misori. He further noted that further deductions from teachers’ payslips will leave them with no option than venturing into side hustles; to raise an extra coin.
The DP in his address, yesterday, indicated that most teachers do not have decent housing units and hence will be the biggest beneficiaries to the new housing scheme. Wherever the Deputy President got the statistics from, one wonders! For your information, Mr. Deputy President Sir, most teachers own houses; decent ones. Secondly, with the coming of delocalization teachers will definitely continue staying in rental houses. A mortgage can do better as at now, for the teachers.
A house on sale in Kenya(Courtesy of Jumuia). Teachers are opposed to the new housing scheme by the government
Fast forward, a good government is one that listens to her workers. If pertinent issues have been raised against the housing scheme and even the AON medical scheme, by teachers, then the government is obligated to amicably solve these biting concerns. Having knee jerk decisions and forcing unpalatable policies on workers is quite unfortunate and uncalled for.
The move to deduct 1.5% of gross salary of teachers and civil servants to finance the housing scheme is just but another oppression on the already overtaxed Kenyan teachers and civil servants of this country. Its totally unfair to hurt employees so as to advance political interests. It’s more strange that the scheme is only getting support from the government, no other Kenyan is supporting it but the government seems determined to push it through. This leads to the big question, who is the likely beneficiary of this scheme, is it the teacher or the ordinary Kenyan civil servant? The answer seems to be a big No.
In a country where plundering of public resources seems fashionable, corruption celebrated and rewarded, the 1.5% deduction is another opportunity for some people to smile all the way to the bank while the Kenyan teacher and civil servants who will be bank rolling the scheme cry all the way from the bank.
Kenya has more than enough money to finance the housing scheme without hurting and demoralizing the hardworking teachers and civil servants by adding another deduction and an obvious pathway yo more plunder of resources on our already overwhelmed payslips. A country where billions are looted almost everyday from almost every sector doesn’t need to overtax its citizenry to finance projects, all it needs is to seal corruption loopholes and save the billions which can then finance these ambitious projects.
Another question that begs for serious answers is, how will the units be distributed to these workers? What happens to the many workers who already have their own houses?
It’s time the leadership of this country listened to the teachers and other workers. Forcing unpopular deductions on our payslips without commensurate salary increments is unacceptable. A time has come for the Kenyan worker to be in solidarity with each other and make one voice in unison by saying NO to this housing deduction, that time is now.
By Laban Bosire.
(The Writer is the Current Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Chairman, Kisii County.)
The Kenya National Examinations Council, KNEC, should invest in the people who make the examinations work and stop depending on voluntary service. The Deputy principals have been authorized to be in school during the entire examination period, the science teachers are expected in schools a day before the practical examinations and during the examinations to ensure everything is in place.
The chemistry teachers are expected to go a step further by doing the practical to get school values required for marking of the centres papers. The Agriculture, music, home science and computer teachers take the students through projects which run through several months. It’s worth noting that all these professionals play these roles without any contract with KNEC as if their roles do not matter; yet it’s these roles which make it possible for the examination to be deemed complete and effective.
All KNEC does is wait for the slightest of errors to punish these professionals without any regard as to how they are facilitated to enable them perform these tasks. It’s time KNEC invests in the examinations by compensating these professionals who invest time and resources in making the examinations a success.
By Mr. Laban Bosire Ouko.
(The Writer is an ardent defender of the teachers’ welfare and a vibrant unionist. He is currently the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, KUPPET, Chairman- Kisii County).
A Centre Manager is, mostly, a head teacher (Primary schools) or a principal (Secondary schools) of a school where a National Examination (KCPE or KCSE) is carried out. The Centre manager is appointed by the Kenya National Examinations Council, KNEC, after secondment from the employer; the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). During the examination period, the Centre manager is directly answerable to the TSC Sub County Director. Read more details, here:2018 appointment and remuneration of Centre Managers, Supervisors and other contracted professionals by KNEC
As a Centre manager, the head teacher or principal must always be on high alert to spot any happenings within the school vicinity that may jeopardize the examination process . Since the buck stops with the centre manager, this job is considered one of the most risky. We sample a few reasons that make this job treacherous:
Collection and returning of Examination Materials
It is the sole responsibility of the Centre Manager to collect and return examination materials from and to collection containers, daily, for the entire period of the examination administration. The Centre manager must wake up very early in the morning to be at the collection point (KNEC Container) for dispatch of the examination materials. Already, two centre managers have been arrested in Meru County, today, during the first day of the KCPE exams- 2018. It is reported that the said Centre managers reported to work while under the influence of alcohol and also arrived late at the KNEC container; to pick the tests. Some other centre managers are facing the same fate; infact, a handful of others were disciplined last year.
Lethal penalties in case of examination malpractice
The Centre manager bears the brunt for any examination irregularity at his/ her examination centre. This year, in June- 2018, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) sent home a number of principals of schools whose candidates had their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results cancelled; last year, 2017. A TSC report showed that six principals of secondary schools that accounted for a large part of the cancellations, with 1,022 candidates affected, were given marching orders by the employer. According to TSC’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nancy Macharia, about 60 teachers faced interdiction over the 2017 KCSE national examinations irregularities. The KNEC act, of 2012, gives tough guidelines geared towards safeguarding the integrity of the National tests. Any slight mistake may land the Centre manager in big trouble. Read more details, here: Tough Penalties for engaging in exams irregularities
The Centre manager must safeguard the examination materials and deliver them to the examination centres and collection points, no matter what. Last year, an image of a centre manager wading through raging waters, after a heavy down pour and with the exam materials tightly held, went viral.
Many other responsibilities.
Apart from carrying out his/ her duties as the school’s head, the Centre Manager performs many other responsibilities as stipulated by KNEC. These responsibilities are contained in the KNEC commitment letter that the centre manager must sign.
No freedom of choice.
Being a centre manager is mandatory. A Principal or head teacher can not opt out of this responsibility. One automatically becomes a centre manager by virtue of being a Principal or a head teacher. Given opportunity to choose, some heads and principals may opt out of the responsibility. The job is gruesome. One has to be alert all the time. There is no room for committing even the slightest of mistakes. Needless to say that this is a do or die job!
Meagre pay
The Centre managers do not receive extra allowances from the KNEC, apart from the Ksh. 500 daily transport reimbursement. This is because they are deemed to be on duty and that they are paid salaries and allowances by the TSC. Furthermore, the deputy heads, boarding masters, Laboratory Technicians, Science teachers and deputy principals receive no extra pay during the examination’s administration period.
The examination pressure is so much on some centre managers that they breath a big sigh of relief once the examination administration period is done. Nevertheless, the Centre Managers are ready to press on with this noble responsibility.
Here at the Blazenews Digital Team, we extend our message of good health to the Centre Managers countrywide.
