Teachers protest over slashing of capitation for learners

The Mountain Journal

editor@themountainjournal.co.ke

Protests have greeted the education sector after the government slashing of the capitation saying the trend would compromise standards of education.

The teachers in the Junior  Schools said the action by the government was uncalled for as the stakeholders had sought for increased  capitation to enable improvement of the teaching.

The  teachers in Murang’a led by their Chairman Polycap Muriithi appealed to the Education Cabinet Secretary Dr Julius Ogamba to ask the treasury to allocate more resources  to fund the education programmes.

They observed that lashing capitation per student from Sh22,244 annually to Sh 15,042 is a mockery  to the education sector.

“ Education programmes should be addressed to the latter and the decision  to slash the capitation remains unpopular among the Kenyans,” said Muriithi during a Murang’a branch meeting in a Maragua hotel.

 They observed that many of the schools presently cash starved will be unable to procure learning materials for the sciences practicals.

At the same time, the teachers pleaded with the government to consider employing teachers on contract to permanent and pensionable terms.

They said the promise made that after they serve  for six months they will be absorbed by the TSC, was yet to be honoured. 

 Gasper Ochieng  said  the TSC should come out and consider the plight of the teachers serving on contract terms, saying they were suffering while they were teaching learning in JSS and secondary schools.

 Ochieng said there were 20,000 teachers serving across the country awaiting to be considered by the TSC on permanent terms.

“ The monthly salary of Sh17,000 was not enough as the teachers have families to support back at home.  The promise made by the government should be honoured,” said Ochieng.

 On medical insurance, Thomas Kimani said the teachers are yet to agree to the transfer of their medical scheme from a private insurance firm to the SHA. 

Kimani said the decision  to transfer the teachers to SHA should allow a public participation framework to ensure there is an agreement.

“Let the political drive destroy a scheme that had supported the teachers for years,  why rush the transfer without hearing the views of the teachers,” said Kimani.