KIRUKU: Realization of SDGs impossible with won’t pay, can’t pay attitude

By Anne Kiruku; East African News Agency

The longest teachers strike ever witnessed in Kenyan primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, lasting five weeks, finally came to an end a week ago, leaving in its wake more questions than answers.

Strikes have become perennial not only in Kenya but right across the region, affecting all sectors – from transport to education and health to the civil service. Workers frequently take to the streets to demand higher pay and better working conditions.

In the education sector, in particular, strikes by teachers have now become a perennial headache, leaving learners disillusioned, parents frustrated, and teachers demoralised.

In Tanzania, the longest teachers strike took two months, in Kenya the longest has taken five weeks, while in Nigeria the strike took six months.

The teachers’ strike in Kenya was called after the Employment and Labour Relations Court awarded them a 50-60 per cent salary increase on their basic pay, which the government then refused to pay. Public disquiet forced President Uhuru Kenyatta to make a state address, in which he said that the government could not honour the salary demands by teachers.

Parents were left with the responsibility of caring for their children at home as the strike dragged on. There were cases of children dying due to freak accidents as a result of being left unattended, as well as of girls disappearing from home and getting married – especially in rural and marginalised areas.

The strike was called by the country’s two giant teachers unions – the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). It saw a titanic battle for the hearts and minds of Kenyans between the protagonist camps, with the teachers unions on one side and the government on the other.

The case moved from the Employment and Labour Relations Court to the Court of Appeal, then the Supreme Court and back again to the Court of Appeal, where finally a five-judge bench was constituted to hear it. The courts have so far ruled in favour of the teachers getting their salary award against the protestations of their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Teachers are accusing the government of defying a court order to pay the salary increase, while the government is accusing teachers of ignoring the input of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). The latter is mandated with harmonisation of salaries and advisory functions on issues regarding remuneration for public officers.

The result of this prolonged industrial action has been untold suffering to parents, teachers, learners and the general public. Such industrial unrest can affect stability, peace and security. The teachers strike has not only exposed the government’s incompetence, it could easily affect investor confidence as well.

The timing of the strike was particularly unfortunate, coming during the busy third term. Although the shortest of the three terms and lasting only 11 weeks, it is the most crucial when learners sit their final examinations. The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) is administered to those finishing eight years of the primary education, while the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) is administered to those completing four years of secondary education.

Education is a basic human right; the South African freedom icon Nelson Mandela said it was the only weapon that could be used to change the world. It is one of the most important tools that can lift one’s social and economic status. To bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, to alleviate poverty, to reduce child mortality and maternal deaths, as well as to reduce the high fertility rates, governments must invest heavily in education. That includes fair remuneration for teachers.

Regional governments must invest in education if the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are to be attained. Building more schools, colleges and universities is a necessity, especially in remote and marginalised areas. Subsidizing the cost of learning, teaching equipment and books, even removing taxes on such items, will go a long way in boosting the delivery and affordability of education.

Most EAC countries are offering free basic education to their citizens, but that free education should not be taken to mean free labour. As a result, teachers who have to take charge of crowded classes deserve to be well remunerated.

In the Kenyan scenario, the court suspended the strike for 90 days and asked both parties to come to an agreement within that time. The unions have declared that if the court salary award is not implemented, they will resume the strike. The government must adopt a give-and-take attitude to ensure this does not happen; chest-thumping by either side simply won’t do.