Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teacher (KUPPET) Laikipia branch has opposed calls by KNUT National Secretary General Wilson Sossion to have the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) disbanded.
The Union has dismissed Sossion’s calls to have the teachers’ employer disbanded saying that they do not represent the interest of the teachers in the country.
According to Laikipia County branch KUPPET Executive Secretary Robert Miano, the union accused the sister’s union Secretary General of pushing for the abolition of the TSC for his own selfish interests.
“Kuppet as a union is opposed to any move or calls to disband TSC. Those who are calling for its abolishing do not represent the interest of teachers in the country so let them know that TSC is there to stay and it is not going anywhere,” said Mr Miano in Nyahururu town.
He said that teachers across the country have confidence in TSC and those calling for its abolishment should therefore stop meddling in its operations.
“Even though there are some minor issues going on between TSC and teachers, over 300,000 teachers across the country still have confidence with the commission and therefore it should not be disbanded,” added the unionist.
He said that teachers had campaigned and fought for the establishment of the TSC in the 2010 constitution and hence no one should propose for its abolishment.
“How foolish could we be as teachers to propose for the abolishment of the commission while other government employees like nurses and doctors are fighting for establishment of their own commission like TSC?” posed Mr Miano.
There have been calls to place teachers under the direct management of the Ministry of Education and not their current employer – the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) in its proposal to Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) argues that most of teachers’ day- to- day activities, curriculum implementation, supervision, quality assurance and standards, and assessment fall directly under the State Department of Basic Education.
“Placing the Commission under the watch of the State Department of Basic Education will greatly assist in addressing duplication of functions and more importantly, reduce the cost of running the Ministry of Education,” reads the presentation by Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion to the team.
Mr Miano at the same time decried stagnation of teachers in one job group saying “It is worrying to see teachers remaining stagnant in one job position for years without being promoted to other positions.”
He called on the commission to maintain a human face while handling teachers to create a good relation between the employer (TSC) and the employee.
By Jesse Mwitwa
