The Ministry of education has directed schools to trim their excess staff in order to reduce bloated wage bills. The ministry has at the same time released salaries that teachers (employed by boards of management) and other school workers should earn per month. These latest directives come in the backdrop of schools’ failing to pay their employed workers as a result of the current covid 19 pandemic; that has cut cash flow in the schools.
Some schools have been meeting their staff’s monthly wages while others have opted to send their workers on unpaid leaves. There have been calls to classify BOM staff as vulnerable groups so as to benefit from the government’s cash transfer programme.
“The BOM has decided that you proceed on unpaid compulsory leave effective 1st April, 2020 until the situation improves. We kindly ask you to bear with us as this was not planned and is beyond our control.” reads a memo dispatched to BOM teachers in one of the secondary schools that is facing an unprecedented financial crunch.
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According to the guidelines released by the Basic Education Principal Secretary, Dr Belio Kipsang, day schools with one stream should only have a maximum of 5 workers while the largest school with 15 streams can only higher not more than 37 workers on BOM terms (See tables below). These guidelines were adapted from the Kilemi Mwiria Task-force Report of 2014.
TABLE 1: STAFFING GUIDELINES FOR DAY SCHOOLS
| NO OF STREAMS | BURSAR | ACCOUNTS CLERK | SECRETARY | MESSENGER | LAB TECHNICIAN | ICT TECHNICIAN | GROUNDS-MAN | CATERESS | COOK | KITCHEN HANDLER | NURSE | STORE KEEPER | ARTISANS | DRIVER | LIBRARIAN | SECURITY | TOTALS |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 |
| 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 19 |
The school nurse should also double up as a matron while recruited artisans should be able to execute multiple tasks (multi-skilled).
TABLE 2: STAFFING GUIDELINES FOR BOARDING SCHOOLS
| MESSENGER | LAB TECHNICIAN | ICT TECHNICIAN | GROUNDS-MAN | CATERESS | COOK | KITCHEN HANDLER | NURSE | STORE KEEPER | ARTISANS | DRIVER | LIBRARIAN | SECURITY | TOTALS |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 22 |
| 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 28 |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 33 |
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 37 |
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 36 |
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 37 |
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 37 |
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 37 |
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 36 |
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 37 |
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 37 |
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 37 |
Dr Kipsang has also instruted schools to remunerate their staff as per the earlier guidelines (also adapted from the Kilemi Mwiria Task-force Report of 2014) and dispatched to schools. The teaching and non-teaching staffs should be employed on permanent and pensionable terms. the lowest earning worker should pocket Sh9,660 while the highest earner will receive a monthly perk of Sh41,000. But, these salaries are to be pegged on the workers’ qualifications.
TABLE 3: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR SCHOOLS’ SUPPORT STAFF.
| CATEGORY | JOB GROUP | MINIMUM SALARY | MAXIMUM SALARY | QUALIFICATIONS |
| BURSAR | K | Sh31,020 | Sh41,590 | CPA III |
| SECRETARY | F, G & H | Sh12,210 | Sh24,662 | secretarial Certificate |
| MESSENGER | D | Sh10,380 | sh11,370 | KCSE Certificate |
| LAB TECHNICIAN | Sh12,510 | Sh21,304 | Laboratory training | |
| ICT TECHNICIAN | F & G | Sh12,510 | Sh21,304 | |
| GROUNDS-MAN | C & D | Sh9,660 | Sh11,370 | KCPE certificate |
| CATERESS | F & G | Sh12,510 | Sh21,304 | KNEC certificate in catering |
| COOK | C & D | Sh9,660 | Sh11,370 | KCSE Certificate |
| KITCHEN HANDLER | C & D | Sh9,660 | Sh10,380 | KCPE certificate |
| NURSE | H & J | Sh24,662 | Nursing Certificate | |
| STORE KEEPER | F, G & H | Sh12,510 | Sh21,304 | Store keeping certificate |
| SECURITY | C & D | Sh9,660 | Sh11,370 | KCPE certificate |