Schools open tomorrow amid uncertainty as the teachers’ union and their employer flip flop on issues that should have been resolved more than six months ago.
The grouses the Kenya National Union of Teachers has against the Teachers’ Service Commission include the delocalisation of more than 3,000 headteachers, teachers professional development modules and performance contracting.
A few months ago, President Kenyatta appealed to the TSC to rethink the decision to transfer the headteachers. However, he did not order the employer to stop the exercise as demanded by Knut.
The union also has issues with the new 2-6-3-3-3 curriculum. Parents and students are worried that Knut has found it fitting to always press its grievances through strike notices either just before national examinations or at the beginning of the term when so much in terms of preparation and financial resources have been expended to ensure that learning is not interrupted.
Too often the employer chooses brinkmanship as opposed to sobriety when dealing with the union leaders. The union’s secretary general, Wilson Sossion, is also confrontational and seems to enjoy the resultant national limelight. He needs to scale down his political approach.
Then who will brink first? attitude between Knut and and the TSC has proven too costly to the taxpayer. The threats and the push and pull between the combatants are unnecessary at a time when even the country’s political heavy weights have realised the need to sit down in the spirit of national reconciliation.
While the employer follows certain guidelines in dealing with its charges, there is a need to listen to their views through the union leadership.
Similarly, union leaders ought to be guided by professional etiquette in negotiating matters that affect students. The country breathed a sigh of relief when the ministry of Labour intervened to avoid tomorrow’s strike threat.
None of the combatants were ready to give way and by yesterday the country was on the edge as Sossion and his group maintained that the teachers would not report to work.
We appeal for reason and sobriety. The two sides should, after all realise that their reason for existence is the pupil/student who stands to lose if their recalcitrant attitude continues.