Teachers to Strike After Disagreement With Education Boss

KNUT claims that Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi did not consult stakeholders before publishing the regulations. And with Kaimenyi standing his ground the matter has opened a new front for confrontations in the education sector.

The regulations are intended to bring sanity to the education sector given such guidelines that stipulate that no public school or institution shall issue alternative fee structures other than those approved by the Cabinet Secretary.

The regulations further stipulate that no institution shall cause any parent to contribute any funds for co-curricular activities without written approval from the Cabinet Secretary.

Kaimenyi kas also scrapped compulsory repetitions in school.

“The issue of compulsory repetition, particularly at standard 6 and 7, which was so common, is going to be a thing of the past,” he said.

No early morning learning

He further said that “some schools used to start learning as early as 5:30 am and that was so much stress.” In regards to this, he instructed that “no child should be in school earlier than 7:15 am be it a private or public school.”

 But the teachers unions are a disgruntled lot.

“Of course it is obvious, no schools will open in Ma,” said KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion.

KNUT now demands that Kaimenyi revokes not just the Basic Education Act regulations but also the school fees guidelines gazetted in March 2015.

“We are not even giving 7 days, this one is beyond a strike, its beyond giving 7 day notice, revoke all gazette notices immediately and call us for a discussion, if you don’t do it, you will never walk with us,” added Furious Sossion.

The bone of contention is Article 5, Sub Article 3, which states that, “where an impropriety is established on the part of a head of an institution, the Cabinet Secretary shall forthwith revoke the designation of such head of institution as the accounting officer and request the Teachers Service Commission for a replacement.”

KNUT has accused the Education CS of imposing dictatorial regulations.