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.
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