A number of primary and secondary school teachers in Meru County who were recently transferred by their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have reported to their new stations.
Sources at the local TSC office told KNA that the affected tutors have shelved the ongoing Christmas celebrations to report to their new stations after receiving their transfer letters early December.
An anonymous source at the County Teachers Service Commission (TSC) office said most teachers affected by the transfers had stayed in one station for many years, adding that they were all in receipt of the transfer letters.
The source said the County TSC Director ensured the letters reached the recipients before Christmas day to give them adequate time to make arrangements of reporting to the new stations before the 28thDecember 2018 deadline given by the Teachers Service Commission headquarters.
A teacher at the Director’s office in Meru town said most teachers had been directed to their respective sub-county TSC directors to collect their letters so as to beat the reporting deadline.
Kenya News Agency (KNA) established that teachers transferred from Meru County were reporting to other counties for further deployment to schools in the same capacity.
The anonymous source said some teachers had already reported to Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Makueni and Kitui counties to name just a few while teachers from different counties within and outside the Eastern region had started reporting to Meru County for deployment as well.
Meru County Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) leadership had earlier on protested against the idea of transferring teachers out of their home counties and away from families.
Speaking on behalf of the teachers, Meru Branch KNUT Executive Secretary, Caxton Miungi noted that transferring teachers to work in stations far from their families would only compromise quality in the sector along with disturbing family stability.
However, some teachers were uncomfortable with the transfers outside Meru County blaming immediate supervisors for malice and intimidation, while others were positive and ready to move with the hope of career development and progression opportunities in their new stations.
‘I am looking forward to starting the new year first term in my new station away from my home county with high hopes of meeting new colleagues who were willing to embrace team work for a common goal of assisting learners perform better’ a teacher said.
Another teacher said the transfers were a move in the right direction where an individual will have the opportunity of working with colleagues they have not met before and together can encourage each other to focus on career development for progression.
County TSC Director, Juliet Kariuki was not available for any information as she was said to be out of office for a Christmas holidays.
By Makaa Margaret
